Paths We Follow
by Bamie02
Summary: AU. Sometimes it doesn't matter how many different paths you take, if it's meant to be you'll end up there no matter what.
1. Chapter 1

_So, this was an idea coastalreader had and felt that I could take the idea and make something of it. I just hope it lives up to her expectations. :)_

_AU story. Deeks is a paramedic and meets Kensi and the team in a less than ideal way. justareader07 was awesome (as always) and looked this over for me. Hope you all enjoy it._

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Kensi was breathing heavy as she ran up the stairs of the building, frantic to get to the top. She had already helped clear the other floors, seeing the place where Dom had been held for so long. She tried to force her mind blank, to keep her head in the game and on the objective, but it was hard to do when it was your partner that had been taken and tortured for months. Not that she and Dom had been partners long before that; he was still pretty green and had relied on the team for guidance. But he had been eager to learn and an urge to prove himself.

_Stop it Kensi. Stop thinking about him as if he's already dead._

She shook her head as she opened the door to the rooftop. She could hear Sam and Callen in her ear telling her to wait but she couldn't. There was no way she could leave him up there without backup when backup was here.

Gun pointed, she took out the two men on the steps. As she carefully looked around, she saw a shoe barely sticking out from behind an air conditioning unit. _Stupid mistake._

There was no way Dom's captors hadn't heard the gunfire just now, so she crouched low, making her way stealthily across the roof until she could get a good vantage point. Sam and Callen were taking fire on one of the lower levels of the building, leaving her alone to take care of the guys above. She changed out her clip and took a deep breath.

"NCIS. Drop your weapons." Her voice held authority, not showing the nerves and adrenaline she was currently running on. As soon as her sentence stopped, gunfire erupted, but there was a lot more of it than she had been anticipating. '_Why do they never listen?'_ She kept her head down behind a pillar and waited until it stopped for a second, giving her a chance to pop up and start her own barrage of bullets. She knew she had hit at least one guy, but she wasn't sure how many were left.

"Dom? Just hold on, okay?" She didn't get a reply, but then again she hadn't been expecting one. She just wanted to assure both him and herself that they were going to make it out of this.

As the gunfire from the bad guys started again, she changed her clip. At this rate, she was going to run out of ammo. _Alright Kensi. You can do this._ When silence filled the air for a second, Kensi took action, moving locations while firing, trying to get into a better position. She was about ten feet from where she thought Dom was and had the bad guy in her sights. She took aim and pulled the trigger, her accuracy hitting with deadly precision. Taking a breath, another man made the fatal mistake of checking on his friend and Kensi took him out as well. She waited for a few seconds, not seeing anyone else wanting to join that particular party, and inched out slowly, waiting to see where the bullets might come from. When all was quiet, she kept her head down and made her way behind the AC unit, seeing Dom laying on his side, blood seeping its way away from him.

She rushed over, wanting to help him. Looking around quickly, not seeing any other suspects, she took her button down shirt off - grateful for the tank top underneath - and tried to stop the blood flowing out of Dom's abdomen. As she was relaying the status to Sam and Callen, who were just making their way up the stairs, she heard the unmistakable click of safety button.

"Stand up." The man with the cold eyes watched as she turned slowly, making sure her body was in front of Dom's, her hands up in surrender. Neither of them said anything else, and Kensi was counting the seconds until Sam or Callen burst through the door. That was either going to kill her or be her saving grace, she wasn't sure. But based on the cold, calculating look in his eyes and the man's fairly calm demeanor, she was leaning closer to not making it out of this.

She closed her eyes for a moment, unable to do anything else. When she opened them again, she stared at the man, waiting for someone to make a move. And she didn't have to wait long. He pulled the trigger, hitting her chest just below her shoulder. She crumbled to the ground, making sure to shield Dom as she did. As she fell, she heard another gunshot and watched as the man fell, the lack of movement showing he was dead. Thinking it was Callen and Sam coming to the rescue, she tried calling out to them, letting them know where she and Dom were at.

"Hey. Over here." Her voice was a lot weaker than she thought it would be and she closed her eyes again, the pain overwhelming. She could feel the blood pooling around her. When she heard footsteps - were they running? - she opened her eyes. Only instead of Callen or Sam, it was a stranger with shaggy blonde hair. Because of the sun shining behind him, it gave him a halo around his head. _My angel. _And with that last thought, she closed her eyes once again, letting the darkness wash over her.

* * *

Deeks sat at the table in the break room, crossword puzzle in front of him and bouncing his leg. He was bored. Plain and simple. It had been a relatively slow day for calls, and while that was always a good thing, it made his life hell. He thrived on the urgency of situations, life and death, helping in the most natural and effective way he knew how. He had done a lot of things before this gig, but this was the one that gave him the most satisfaction so far.

He smiled as he thought back to all the different career paths he had tried, giving each one of them his all but never finding the fulfillment he had with this one. Law school had led him to a job with the Los Angeles DA. The DA's office had led him to LAPD, deciding that he wanted to arrest the criminals rather than doing endless paperwork trying to put them in jail. _Trying_ being the operative word (although to this day, he had one of the highest conviction rates for the amount of time he was there).

After joining the LAPD, he had moved up the ranks fast as well as studied to be an EMT. When he had made it to Detective, he had done what he had to do to keep his certification valid, but that hadn't proved easy when doing undercover work. And while he was extremely good at going undercover, some of the things he had had to do to stay alive turned his stomach. He was able to stop the bad guys, but the lines between ethical and illegal were blurred, and hurting and using people to get the job done was something he loathed. It made him feel like his deadbeat father.

And that had led him here. Sitting at a table at the LA Fire and EMS station, waiting on a call. He had become a paramedic 3 months ago, and he couldn't be happier with his lot in life right now. It had taken three years of non-stop studying and classes, but he had made it. He felt a sense of accomplishment every time there was a call and he was able to help that person. Sometimes it was a minor injury, sometimes it was life and death. And that's what he loved about it. The rush he got when the tones dropped, calling them into action, it wasn't something he could describe. And while he still missed doing undercover, right now this was where he was meant to be.

"You're doing the nervous tick thing again." Deeks looked up and smiled, seeing his partner Laura Goodwin.

"Nah, not nervous. Just bored. Slow day at the office." Laura opened her mouth to reply, but the shrill whistle of the horn cut her off, alerting them a call was coming in. They both quickly sprinted for the door, Laura jumping in the driver seat. "You just had to open your big mouth, didn't you Deeks?"

He could only smile while putting his seatbelt on. "You wouldn't want me any other way." Deeks picked up the radio, letting dispatch know they were in route and trying to get more information about the call.

"_Unknown casualties at this time. Shots fired. Law enforcement is currently en route for back-up. Stage only at this time until cleared."_

Deeks looked over at Laura, confusion on both of their faces.

"If LAPD isn't there already, who is?"

"I bet it's Feds. Especially if dispatch isn't giving up more information." Deeks nodded his head at her, knowing she was right.

With lights and sirens going, they made it to the building in three minutes. Parking far enough away to stage the area, Deeks got out and made sure everything in the back was ready to go. He was always meticulous on the layout and supplies; he knew he was ready. Grabbing a bag with the basic first aid he figured he would probably need, he waited until he heard dispatch again. They had moved over to the more secure channel, knowing there would be more information available there.

A man's voice cut in. "_Agent down. Rooftop. Injuries unknown at this time."_

As soon as he heard Agent down, Deeks sprang into action. He used to be a cop, and law enforcement - no matter what kind of relationship they had - always took care of one another when in trouble. And there was someone in trouble. He looked at Laura, seeing her shaking her head at him.

"Deeks, don't do it! You have no idea what you're walking into. And you don't want to get mistaken for a bad guy. I'm not saving your ass, too."

"Gotta go, Laura. Let dispatch know I'm headed in, and make sure they relay that to the guys inside. Stay here until you hear otherwise." And with those words, he took off.

Laura relayed the info and watched as Deeks disappeared around the corner. There were going to be serious repercussions later for this, and she hated to be him when he got his ass chewed for this stunt. But she also knew where he was coming from. Her husband was part of LAPD, and she would do what she had to to get to him if he was in trouble. He may not know anyone outright in the building right now, but they were brothers in law enforcement.

Deeks scanned the area as he ran, his eyes knowing what to look for. He saw a silver Cadillac and a black Charger sitting next to the curb of an abandoned looking three story building. He could hear gunfire from inside and his instincts and training kicked in. He crouched low as he neared the side door, hoping the stairs would be close to it. As he slowly opened it, he glanced in, letting out a breath as he did it. Not seeing anyone, good guys or bad, he snuck in.

His original hope for the stairs was answered at the end of the hallway he was in. Quickly and quietly making his way over, he kept his eyes and ears open. The gunfire he was hearing sounded like it was on the other side of the building, and he was really hoping that this side had already been cleared.

He breathed evenly as he raced up the stairs, careful to make it as silent as possible. He saw the door to the top, and carefully opened it. As he peaked out, he saw two bodies - bad guys he presumed - and their guns discarded. As he opened the door a little more and looked around, he saw a brunette with her eyes closed and hands up while a man was standing in front of her, gun pointed at her. He could see the silver badge hanging on her pocket, letting him know they were on the same side.

The gunfire ceased below him, but he wasn't sure how much time he had before the man took the shot. He leaned down, silently picking up a discarded gun and checking it. He stayed crouched down and aimed it, but it was too late. The man pulled the trigger, hitting the brunette in the lower shoulder area. He pulled the trigger on his borrowed gun, his bullet finding it's target and the man fell. Deeks grabbed the bag, gun still in hand in case someone else was there hiding. As soon as he made it over, he checked for a pulse on the man, already knowing he was dead. That's when he noticed the other man laying beneath the brunette. A quick check told him that he, too, hadn't made it.

Opening the bag, he started putting pressure on the woman's wound. He saw as she opened her eyes for a minute. Before he could get a word out, she whispered something he had never been called in his life.

"My angel." And then her eyes closed again, unresponsive. Deeks would have laughed at her words if the situation hadn't been dire. Instead, he yelled 'Paramedic' when he heard the door open, seeing two additional men coming out. They immediately pulled their aimed guns away from him and scanned the area, clearing it.

"You know, it's a good thing Eric already told us you were up here or this would not have ended well for you." Callen was holstering his gun and kneeled down next to the younger man, watching as he worked on Kensi.

"She going to be okay?" Deeks was working frantically trying to stabilize her.

"Erratic pulse. She's going into shock. We need to get her out of here." He didn't know why, but he knew that this one - _this_ woman - had to make it. Even covered in blood she was beautiful, there was no denying that. But it was the way he had seen her standing over the other man, using her body to shield his even though the man was already gone, that had his admiration.

A minute later, Laura was there, back board in hand. She helped Deeks get Kensi situated on it and then allowed the bigger black man to help him down the stairs, careful to keep the patient as stable as possible. Laura could have done it, helped carry her down the stairs, but the look on the man's face when he said he would do it was too much. Instead, she took her partner's place putting pressure on the wound as they left the building.

As soon as they placed Kensi on the awaiting stretcher and got her loaded in the ambulance, Deeks quickly closed the doors as Laura started the ambulance and left.

Deeks radioed in to the hospital, letting them know he had one white female, GSW to the upper chest area, going into shock. Her blood pressure was all over the place and he worked tirelessly to put the IV in and get her stable.

Eight minutes later, Laura was pulling into Pacific Medical Center and stopped. The doors immediately opened and the doctors were waiting. They immediately wheeled her inside, and Deeks followed as far as he could. He knew she was going to need surgery, but there was an empty feeling in his chest when the doors swung closed, leaving him there alone while she was wheeled back.

He stood there a minute, unable to stop staring at the doors, wanting to rush back and find out how she was doing. This unnerving sense of protection was something he wasn't used to. Every other patient he had taken care of he was able to leave at the door, letting the professionals do their jobs. But there was something about her he couldn't put his finger on.

"Hey Deeks, you okay?" Laura walked up, seeing the lost look in his eyes.

"Um, yeah. Good. I'm good. Fine. What's up?" He finally tore his eyes away, looking at Laura. She just narrowed her eyes a little, but ignored it.

"We have reports to fill out. And you have an ass-reaming party to attend." He just nodded at her, looking at the doors one more time before turning and walking out, the pull of the hospital - _her_ - almost too much. In that moment, he knew as soon as his shift ended tonight, he would be back here, sitting in a chair until he heard how she was doing.

"Kensi." Laura's voice cut through to him and he looked over at her.

"Her name is Kensi. One of the guys - Sam, I think? - said that was her name." He just nodded, missing the small smile come across her face. Laura knew he would never admit it to anyone, but it was about time he found someone. He was going to need some pushing, but hey, what were partners for?

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_AN - I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts on this. Leaving a review (good or bad) on the way out would be greatly appreciated. :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_So, this chapter is a little slower than the last, but still important. Bear with me and it'll start picking up. __HUGE thanks to justaread07 and CoastalReader for the ideas and encouragement. _

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Deeks sat in the hard waiting room chair, tapping his fingers on his leg. His gaze shifted to across the room, where the rest of Kensi's team waited as well. Sam and Callen had shown up earlier after giving their statements. There was going to be an overload of paper work, but that could wait. Eric had just arrived with Hetty, and all of them - except Hetty - were silently wondering what the blonde was doing there.

Eric recognized him from video footage. Sam and Callen had already met him on the roof, and Hetty had hummed her approval at seeing him there, so they all just assumed she knew _of_ him somehow. Which made the three men even more curious on just _who _the blond man was, because if you were good enough to catch Hetty Lange's attention then you must be something special.

The room was quiet as the team mourned the loss of one agent and waited on the outcome of another. They glanced at Deeks every now and then, curious as to why he had joined them. Finally, it was Sam who asked the question everyone was wondering.

"You okay over there?" Sam had noticed the way Deeks hadn't been able to sit still for more than a minute or two. He hadn't caught his name at the scene, but Eric had supplied that information. Along with his past work history, which explained why Deeks had not only rushed into hostile territory at the mention of an agent down, but also his accuracy with a gun.

Sam wasn't stupid, he knew it was a dangerous decision this man had made doing that, but there was a very real possibility if he hadn't been there, they would have lost two agents today instead of one. For that very reason he would give the blonde man the benefit of the doubt.

Deeks glanced up at Sam's question, wondering the same thing himself. He had no idea why he was here, why he felt compelled to be here, but he knew there was nowhere else for him to go right now. He _needed_ to be there when news came back on Kensi. _Kensi_. Just saying her name in his head caused his heart rate to pick up speed. He shook his head clear of the thoughts and looked at the rest of the team.

"I'm fine."

Callen looked at him and smirked before he turned to Sam.

"Sound like someone else we know?" Sam just nodded his head at his partner. Before anything else could be said, the doctor walked in.

Everyone jumped up, but Deeks just stood off to the side. He wasn't part of this group, hell he didn't even know her name until Laura told him after they had wheeled her back. But he had to know how she was doing, that she had made it.

"Family of Kensi Blye?"

"That would be us," Hetty stated as she stood in front of her team, every member behind her nodding their heads at her claim.

"Okay. Well, she made it out of surgery. The bullet grazed her axillary artery, causing a lot of blood loss but it could have been much worse. Luckily it barely missed her collar bone. The bullet lodged just beneath that. Whoever was responsible for the initial pressure on the wound helped her artery from tearing open more. We were able to repair it fairly easily. Aside from that, she's in recovery right now and will be there a few hours while we make sure there aren't any other complications. She's going to be in ICU for at least a day. You can visit her, but only one person at a time and for ten minutes max. What she needs now is rest." He saw everyone nod their heads at him, and when it was clear there weren't any questions, he turned and headed out, going to check on his other patients.

The team all let out a collective breath knowing Kensi was going to be okay. Now, it was time to decide who was going to stay. Callen stepped up and was the first to say he would stay. Shifts were decided and everyone dispersed, leaving Callen alone in the waiting room. Well, alone wasn't accurate. Deeks had gone to sit back down in his chair after the doctor had left, his posture showing he didn't intend to leave anytime soon.

Callen stared at the blonde man for a minute before walking out the door. Deeks looked up when Callen had walked out, wondering for a brief second where the man was going. When Callen walked back in a few minutes later, carrying two cups of coffee, he settled in the chair opposite of Deeks and handed him the spare cup.

"Figure it's going to be a long night. I'm Callen."

"You can call me Deeks. But I get a feeling you already know that." Callen tilted his head slightly giving a small nod and watched him.

Deeks took the offered coffee, grimacing at the staleness of it. Someone really needed to teach the staff how to make a decent cup of coffee. He met Callen's eye, not backing down from him. The man was intimidating, and Deeks knew that there weren't a lot of people who were able to pull one over on him.

"Why?" Callen asked the question before taking a sip of the coffee, understanding now the look on Deeks' face when he had first tasted it.

"I honestly don't know." They stared at each other a few minutes more before Callen conceded and looked away and grabbed a newspaper. Deeks let out a breath and pulled his phone out, deciding that a game of Angry Birds would be a good way to pass the time.

He had no idea what he was still doing here. He had heard the prognosis from the doctor himself, Kensi was going to be okay. So he should be able to get up and walk away, maybe flirt with a few of the nurses who were currently trying to catch his eye, go home and shower and go to bed. Instead, he found himself sitting back down in the chair, subconsciously getting comfortable for a long wait. He knew if he went home, he would just lay in bed and think about her. So if he wasn't going to sleep, might as well be here.

_What's wrong with me? Aside from her name I don't know her, yet I'm sitting in a waiting room drinking nasty coffee and waiting. Only thing keeping me here is _something _telling me that I need to be patient, that right now there isn't anywhere else I need to be. Which is ridiculous. _But Deeks knew, in all of this time undercover, that when he had that kind of feeling, it was one that he listened to… one that had yet to let him down.

Callen watched Deeks out of the corner of his eye as he played on his phone. An hour later, the nurse came in and said Kensi could have a visitor, and Callen stood up, following her back to Kensi's room.

Deeks watched as Callen walked away, the sinking feeling in his stomach coming back - just like when he watched her being wheeled away for surgery hours before. Still not understanding, he got up, thankful for the quiet and being able to escape from prying eyes for a while. He knew Callen was sizing him up, trying to get a read on his motives. And he couldn't blame him at all.

Not even glancing at the nurses who were clearly staring at him, he walked over the stairs and went down, deciding to take a walk and get some fresh air. As soon as he opened the door, he felt calmer. The night was dark, clouds covering up the moon. There was a breeze hitting his face and he could smell rain. Deciding to make it quick - if he was staying he didn't want to be wet, too - he stretched his legs a little, grabbed two cups of fresh coffee from the shop next to the hospital and headed back inside.

By the time he made is back to the waiting room, Callen was already back. He stopped himself before he blurted out 'how is she' and just set the coffee next to him. Callen's eyes flicked up from the newspaper to meet Deeks' and Deeks just shrugged.

"Needed to stretch my legs. Figured the mom and pop place next door sells way better coffee than the vending area down the hall." Callen just nodded his head at him and went back to the paper.

Ten minutes passed, Deeks draining the battery on his phone while he played game after game, trying to distract himself, when Callen finally spoke.

"She looked better than I thought she would. Her color is coming back a little and the doctor said so far so good. If she's still stable tomorrow afternoon, they will move her to a regular room."

Deeks pursed his lips together, relief washing over him. Callen could almost see the tension leaving his body.

"You know, you kept her alive. You heard the doctor, the person who applied the pressure at the very beginning kept her artery from splitting apart completely. That was you, Deeks. So from all of us, especially me, thank you."

"Just doing my job. But you're welcome." Callen's comment struck a chord with him. Not that he wouldn't have worked that hard to save someone else, and he was eternally grateful he had been there and foreseen what was happening… no that's not what was bothering him right now. 'Especially me.' Were Kensi and Callen dating? Was there something else there? Deeks suddenly felt really stupid. He had no idea who this woman was, if she had anyone special in her life, nothing. He knew absolutely nothing. Suddenly feeling awkward, he cleared his throat and started to stand up, but Callen could see the wheels turning in his mind.

"She's family, Deeks, just sit down."

"How did…" He looked at the older man, knowing what he wanted to ask but not knowing how to make the words come out of his mouth.

"If she was anything more to any of us, you would already know."

Deeks just nodded his head, wondering for the 400th time just what exactly he was doing here.

"So why haven't you kicked me out yet? You don't know me, I don't know you. I certainly don't know her."

"Then why are you here?" Callen kept his gaze locked with Deeks, waiting to see what his answer would be.

"There's just something… I just… I need to know she will be okay."

"You heard the doctor, same as we did. She made it out of the surgery. I went in and checked on her and she's going to be cranky as hell when she wakes up, but she's going to be okay."

"Yeah, no, I know all that. I just... can't explain it, but I guess you're right. I should probably just go home. Get some sleep. Been a long day. I'm sure I smell." Deeks stood up, wiping his hands on his pants. He didn't want to leave, but it was stupid for him to stay. Callen was right, he didn't know any of them.

Just as he was about to walk out of the room, he heard Callen again.

"Thanks again for saving her. I know that losing Dom today really hit the team hard. I don't know what we would have done if she hadn't made it either."

Deeks turned and nodded his head at him, understanding the words more than Callen probably realized.

"I'm glad I could help." And with that, Deeks walked out, the feeling of leaving something behind almost overwhelming. He quickly patted his pockets, confirming the presence of his phone, wallet and keys. Shrugging off the feeling, he walked to his car and drove home. After a shower, he fell into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

His shift didn't start until the next evening, and Deeks slept until noon. He rolled over and checked his phone, seeing a text message there.

_She made it through the night. - C_

He furrowed his brows for a minute, shooting a text back.

_How did you get this number?_

_Federal Agency, Deeks. We wouldn't have let you within five miles of the hospital if you didn't pass initial muster._

_Ah. Okay. I'm not sure yet how I feel about that, but thanks for the update._

He wasn't surprised when he didn't get a return text, but still wondered what exactly they knew about him. As he got out of bed, he couldn't help but smile. She had made it through the night. Maybe he would stop back by there before work.

* * *

_AN - please leave a review and let me know what you thought. You guys have no idea how much they make my day._


	3. Chapter 3

_SHE'S BACK! bookdiva was amazing as always and looked it over for me. HUGE thanks to justareader07 and CoastalReader for the ideas and encouragement. You two are awesome!_

* * *

Sam watched him walk in and look around, trying to nonchalantly scan the area.

"Fancy seeing you here, Deeks."

Deeks rolled his eyes before smirking a little.

"I guess everyone knows my name, huh?"

"Yep."

Deeks took a seat opposite of Sam and looked at him.

"Well, I met Callen yesterday. I'm assuming that you're his partner."

Sam nodded at him, narrowing his eyes slightly. He didn't say anything else for a few minutes, and Deeks was trying not to let his nervousness show. Being in the hot seat wasn't anything new to him, but being in it because of woman he had never met wasn't something he'd done before.

"Sam." The big man held his hand out and Deeks took it.

"I'd say 'Deeks' again but that would just be redundant."

"So, Deeks. What brings you here today? Although Callen did mention you would show up."

Deeks laughed at Sam's words before shaking his head.

"Awful presumptuous, aren't you?"

"But not wrong."

"Okay, I'll give you that."

Sam was trying to hide the smile on his face but Deeks saw it.

"What?"

"Just waiting to see how long it takes for you to ask how she is."

Deeks lifted his eyebrows at him. He was getting used to the looks and comments now, and was he was starting to wonder just how much they knew about him.

"Alright, I wouldn't want to let anyone down. How is she?"

"Stable now. They should be moving her to a regular room in about an hour."

"Has she woken up?"

"Not yet. The news of Dom is going to kill her, so I'm kinda hoping she's on someone else's watch when that conversation happens."

"Was he her partner?"

"Yeah. That girl has problems keeping partners, although this time the circumstances were out of her control. Not that she will see it that way."

Deeks nodded his head and glanced down, seeing the bag next to him.

"Are those Twinkies?"

Something close to disgust flashed in Sam's eyes before he nodded.

"Horrible things, but she loves them. Figured it would help cheer her up even if only for a little while."

Deeks tucked that little piece of information away for later. He nodded at Sam and looked around, seeing the nurses staring at him. He gave them a polite nod before wondering if he should leave. Kensi was doing okay, she was being moved to a regular room later on, and there was no reason he shouldn't leave now and go to work, forgetting about the woman lying in the bed in the hospital.

He scoffed inwardly. He dreamt about her last night, hearing her call him 'my angel' in his sleep. She had been protecting her partner, risking her own life to try and save his. Almost like a superhero… Wonder Woman.

"So, you planning on coming by later? Actually see her when she's awake? Or at the least in a regular room? I think it's Eric's shift later… or maybe Nate's. Regardless, you might have to save their lives if she's awake and bored."

"Feisty, huh?"

"You have no idea." Sam chuckled, knowing Deeks had no clue what he was getting himself into. Kensi could chew him up and spit him out before he knew what hit him. Although, there was something about Deeks that made him think this guy might have a chance, as long as he didn't scare too easily.

Deeks looked down at his watch, seeing it was time to get going. He had gotten his update, and now it was time to head into work and get the third degree from Laura about his hospital visits.

"Well, Sam, it was nice meeting you. Thanks uh… thanks for the update." Deeks let his gratitude show in his eyes. Sam just nodded his head at him, a small smile on his face.

"Stop by after your shift."

Deeks looked at him for a minute, wondering if there was another motive for the man's words. And either Deeks was losing his touch or the big man was that good at hiding his thoughts, Deeks gave a quick nod of his head and left, but not before giving an almost longing look to the long hallway behind him.

* * *

It had been a long night. He'd worked 6pm - 6am, and it seemed Los Angeles had been waiting for him to get there to have an emergency. Not that he didn't thrive on pressure, but the lack of sleep from the night before was starting to catch up to him.

Laura had been uncharacteristically quiet today about the whole 'Kensi' thing and he wondered why. He had figured she would be chatting non-stop about it, and he had already thought of ways to deflect, but the comments and questions never came.

He glanced at the time on the clock in the car. 7:04am. He had stopped by the store on the way here and picked up a few things for the house. He stared at the hospital and finally got out. Sam had mentioned that she would be getting a regular room, so he walked up to the front desk to find out which floor she was on now.

"Can I help you?" The young woman sitting there started batting her eyelashes at him when she had seen him walking up and Deeks almost laughed.

"Uh, yeah, I'm looking for Kensi Blye's room?" Internally he sent up a silent thanks that he had been there when the doctor had arrived and said her full name, otherwise this would not have gone as smoothly.

"Third floor, room 325." Deeks knocked his knuckles on the desk, smiling.

"Thanks." He turned and strolled away, feeling the woman's eyes on him. If he hadn't been so intent on someone else, he might have stayed and flirted a little, but he had other places to be right now.

Callen was just coming out of her room when Deeks got off the elevator.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally showed up." There was laughter in the older man's eyes, and Deeks smiled.

"Good morning to you, too, Callen. How is she this morning?" Deeks decided they already knew he was going to ask, he might as well stop beating around the bush.

"She woke up last night. Ate the box of Twinkie's Sam brought, got sick and is now thoroughly bored and asking to leave."

"Well that's good to hear. Wait… she ate the entire box?"

Callen laughed. He forgot this man had no idea of Kensi's eating habits.

"Entire box."

"I'm not sure if I should be impressed or grossed out."

"Well then, welcome to our world." They stood there for a few minutes, the silence stretching out before Callen took charge again.

"Alright, well, this has been fun and all, but I have to get to work. Nate is running late, so you are just the man I need to sit with her until he gets here."

"Hold up. That's probably not the best idea. Sam told me she's grumpy, especially when she's bored, and you just said she's bored so she's grumpy. This is a terrible idea, actually." Deeks was rambling, his heart rate spiking when Callen had mentioned meeting her.

"Deeks, it's fine. I told her about you earlier, so at least she knows _of_ you. Don't worry."

"Wait, what did you say? What do you mean you told her about _me_?" Callen had started shuffling Deeks towards the room.

"You sound like a teenage girl, you know that?" Deeks had the grace to look wounded just as Callen opened the door and basically pushed him inside.

Kensi's head popped up and she was now staring into a pair of blue eyes that accompanied a blonde shaggy haired guy. Deeks had stopped walking as soon as Kensi's head came up and they locked eyes. He had vaguely remembered that her eyes were mismatched, but he hadn't paid much attention to it, saving her life overriding other small details. But now that he could really look, he knew he would never forget them.

Callen stood behind him, amusement playing in his eyes before clearing his throat, making them both jump a little. The smirk on Callen's face made Kensi want to smack him.

"Let me introduce you two. Marty Deeks, this is Special Agent Kensi Blye. Kensi, this is Deeks. He's the paramedic I told you about. Now, play nice Kens. Nate will be here in a little bit. Until then, Deeks is gonna hang out."

"Damn it, Callen. I don't need a babysitter. You guys are being ridiculous. I'm a grown woman. I am perfectly capable of laying in a hospital bed by myself."

"Capable, yes. Drowning in misplaced guilt, yes you can do that, too. And that's why you get the glorified babysitters. Deal with it, Kens. We care about you, okay?"

At the mention of guilt, Kensi hung her head. Deeks knew she was blaming herself for the loss of her partner, and he watched as Callen walked over to her bed and sat down, making Kensi look at him.

"It's not your fault. You did everything you could. We all did." It took a minute, but Kensi finally nodded her head and Callen squeezed her hand.

"Okay, I'll see you tonight. And I want a report from the nurses that you were good today. Got it?" Kensi picked up her plastic spoon with her good hand and threw it at him, making him laugh as he closed the door.

And then the awkwardness hit. Deeks put his hand up behind his neck, rubbing it. He was about to say something when Kensi spoke.

"So, you're the guy stalking the waiting rooms, huh?" She raised her eyebrows at him and he laughed.

"I think 'stalking' is a bit of an overstatement." He motioned towards the chair, silently asking if he could sit. She nodded her head and noticed that sun coming up behind him was casting a very familiar halo around his head.

"Angel." She whispered the word, but Deeks heard her.

"No, not quite." Surprise filled her eyes and she tilted her head at him. "You uh… may have said something to that effect on the rooftop."

"Well, in my defense, I thought I was dying, so." And damn it, she didn't realize she had actually said it out loud. She could feel the heat rising in her cheeks and hoped he didn't notice.

Deeks' eyes got serious. "You could have." He saw the sorrow in her eyes as her mind went to Dom, and Deeks was quick to try and lighten the mood again.

"Luckily, you had an awesome 'angel' up there with you who knows a thing or two about saving people. At least I didn't mess it up like I did that one time."

"Oh my God, I hope you're joking." She was trying to keep the laughter out of her voice but was failing. She saw the sparkle in his eyes and he nodded his head.

"I am, don't worry." They sat there, both of them feeling like the silence should be awkward but it wasn't. It was calming. Finally, Kensi took a deep breath.

"Thank you."

"Just doing my job, ma'am." Kensi started shaking her head at him.

"I don't think running into a building that hasn't been secured yet, picking up a suspect's gun and then shooting another suspect is part of your job." Deeks blushed a little but kept her gaze.

"If you know the story, I'm sure Callen told you I was with LAPD for a while, too." She nodded her head and he just shrugged. "I did what I thought was right."

"Well, lucky for me you did. If you hadn't been there, Dom wouldn't have been the only agent lost." Her eyes misted over again, and Kensi silently cursed the pain killers for making her emotional. Deeks didn't say anything, just put his hand on top of Kensi's.

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah, me too." He could see that she was blaming herself, but before he could try and reassure her that Dom wasn't her fault, the door opened again. This time, a tall, younger looking man who was wearing dress pants and a button up shirt came in. Deeks quickly took his hand away, but not fast enough.

"Hey Nate. I see you made it to babysitting duty. I hope you brought Twinkies." Kensi was glaring at him, and Nate looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Uh, hey Kens. No, no Twinkies. I heard they made you sick last night."

Kensi scoffed. "Only because I ate the whole box. If I had known what would happen I would have only eaten one." Nate immediately raised his eyebrows at her. "Fine. Two."

Deeks laughed and stood up, taking this as his cue to leave.

"Kensi, it was nice meeting you. I'm glad you're okay." Kensi smiled at him and nodded.

"Thanks, Deeks." They stared at each other for a minute before Deeks cleared his throat, breaking the spell between them. Nate stood there watching in fascination, as Deeks finally started walking out of the room.

Deeks hurried to his car and pulled out two of the items he had purchased. He put them together and used a rubber band to secure it before heading back inside. He walked up to the nurse's station and handed Kensi's nurse the package.

"Can you do me a favor? Can you give this to Ms. Blye in about an hour? And uh, can we keep this between us, please?" He flashed a smile at her and the nurse nodded her head. "Thank you." And with that, he left the hospital for good.

An hour later, Kensi's nurse walked in the room. She had seen the young man who was currently sitting with her head down to the vending machines, and her patient was currently snoring away in bed. She quietly checked her vitals and left the care package on the table next to her so she would see it when she woke up.

When Kensi jerked awake, the dream taking her back to the rooftop, she looked around for a second before her eyes settled on the brown paper bag on the table. Grabbing it, she opened it slowly, pulling out a rolled up magazine thing. As she took the rubber band off, she almost squealed. A Twinkie was in the middle, covered by a Wonder Woman comic book.

Immediately stuffing the Twinkie in her mouth, she moaned in delight. As she picked up the comic book, she realized it was one of the only WW one's she didn't have in the collection her dad left her. She couldn't prove it, but she had a pretty good idea who did this. _'At least we have something in common.'_ Now she just had to figure out why the thought of him made her stomach flutter with butterflies, and why she her hand was still tingling where Deeks had touched it.

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_AN - I would love it if you left a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter! Thank you everyone who takes the time to read and follow/favorite and review. It means the world!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Here's chapter 4. Ridiculously huge thanks to bookdiva, justareader07 and CoastalReader for everything they do. They are amazing people!_

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Deeks was resupplying the ambulance with Laura's help. It was a slow day, which for once he was grateful for. He hadn't been back to the hospital since he had talked to Kensi. He knew - thanks to Callen - that she had been released from the hospital that morning and Deeks couldn't figure out why he had felt a pang of sadness at that. He had made sure to keep himself busy since that day he had seen her, trying and failing to get her off of his mind.

Laura had noticed it, and even now, he had a faraway look in his eyes as he checked over the supplies.

"What's going on in that mind of yours, Deeks? Somewhere along the line I got used to the babble, and the absence of it is making me nervous." She threw a smile at him, and he sighed. Deeks knew this was coming, he was just surprised it hadn't been sooner.

"Just trying out something new." He winked at her and she shook her head at him.

"Nope. Lame excuses won't cut it." She sat down on the stretcher, watching him methodically count and put away and then start the process all over with something else. So she decided to try a different approach.

"How's Keisha?"

"Kensi."

Deeks turned and narrowed his eyes at her, a smile playing at his lips.

"I see what you're doing here, and you're really bad about being subtle." Laura just shrugged her shoulders.

"If I knew you wouldn't deflect, I'd just ask you straight out. Seeing as how you haven't said anything about her - _at all_ - since that day, I'm having to be devious." She leaned back, letting her arms support her. "I'm just going to keep going until you tell me. Might as well make it as painless as possible."

"She's good I guess. Should be getting out of the hospital soon if everything healed up well."

"Should be, or already has?"

"Should be."

"You are a horrible liar sometimes." She stared at him, raising her eyebrows.

"How do you_ know_?"

"Marriage makes you a mind reader. Maybe one of these days you'll find out." Her eyes had a sparkle to them and Deeks just smiled, shaking his head.

"Aren't tired of trying to play matchmaker?"

"With you? Never." He turned his back and started checking the gauze and basic first aid supplies. Rolling her eyes, Laura charged forward. "Look, I just want you to find someone, okay? You work overtime whenever you can, you go home and sleep, then you're back at it. You need a life outside of work. With someone you care about."

"I have a life. And Monty would be insulted right now."

"Going home to your dog - who is very cute, I'm not saying that - but he… just doesn't quite have the human feel to him, know what I mean?"

He hmmm'ed in response, and Laura decided he had had enough… for now.

"Just… if you think about her as much as I know you do, do something about it. Don't be a chicken shit, okay? Or I will step in, and trust me, you don't want that to happen." Deeks turned towards her, laughing.

"You know I have always wondered what it would be like to have an older sister… that I hated… and now I know." He looked at her, twinkle in his eyes.

Laura snorted at his response. She got up and moved passed him but not before playfully punching his arm. Deeks shrugged it off and laughed but his voice was serious when he called out to her.

"We'll see what happens. I'm not going to force anything. If it's meant to be, it will be."

"You're a walking cliche, you know that,_ little brother_?" Laura called over her shoulder as Deeks shook his head, not even bothering with another response.

He wasn't going to tell her that he had already planned on talking to Callen in a few days if he still couldn't get her off of his mind. He was certain this was like a high school crush and would fade quickly, just like every other woman he had dated in the past.

_That's it. It was an intense situation and my reaction to it - her - was just adrenaline that naturally turned into wanting to make sure the person I had helped save was okay. This is just a temporary feeling, one that is even now fading._

He scoffed at that. There was nothing about his reaction to her that was fading. He was going to have to figure something out.

* * *

"Callen, drop it. I'm grocery shopping by myself. It's something I've been doing for years now. I don't need help, okay? I appreciate the ride over here, but go do… _something _while I get my stuff. You've been with me constantly. I love you, but… just let me do this alone, okay?" Kensi looked into Callen's eyes, knowing she sounded harsh and he would see that she hadn't meant it that way. But for once, she wanted to do something by herself.

She had been out of the hospital for three days now, and Callen had been with her the entire time, making sure she didn't need anything. But there was a fine line between help and smother, and he was bordering smothering right now.

Callen just looked at her for a minute, a smile starting to form.

"Okay Kens. Go conquer the store. Text me when you are checking out and I will come get you, okay?"

Kensi sighed gratefully, smiling at him. "Thank you, Callen." He just nodded his head at her and she got out of the car, feeling free for the first time since the incident.

She made her mind think of something else, knowing that going back in time to that place wasn't a good idea. Her left arm was still in a sling, and she debated on the shopping carts. She needed more items than the small carry one allowed so she grabbed the regular cart, realizing immediately this was going to be a challenge. Steering a shopping cart with one hand was not the easiest thing to do.

Ten minutes later she was cussing life. She had hit two people with the shopping cart and had only managed a tenth of her shopping. She glanced in her cart and sighed. Four boxes of Twinkies and a loaf of bread was all she had to show. Starting to get frustrated, she grabbed the handle and pushed the basket forward suddenly, trying to turn it at the same time. The basket, however, didn't move as she intended and the force in which she had originally pushed caused the basket to hit a display, the towering boxes of cereal crashing down around her.

"Son of a bitch!" Kensi's voice rang out over the sound of falling boxes and she leaned over, laying her head on the handle of the basket.

"I think there's a better way to get cereal." Kensi's head snapped up, recognizing the voice as the one that haunted her dreams.

"What do you want, Deeks?" Her voice had a hard edge to it, but she had unshed tears in her eyes. He smiled at her, his eyes kind, trying to convey to her that it was okay before shrugging his shoulders.

"Thought I would help with cleanup on aisle four." He walked to the front of his basket and started picking up the boxes and putting them back as they were. Kensi, feeling bad for her harsh words, started leaning down to help, but only being able to get one box at a time was going to take her forever.

"So, is this how you normally meet guys?" He glanced at her, eyes twinkling and she nodded her head.

"It's so sexy to make a mess and have someone else clean it up. Figured if a guy was willing to clean it up while I watch, he might have a shot at a date later."

Deeks' eyebrows shot up, but before he could retort, an employee walked up and cleared his throat, taking Kensi's place and beginning the process of putting the cereal back the way it was.

It only took about five minutes, and Kensi stood there the entire time watching the two guys clean up the mess she had made. And all because she was too stubborn to let Callen help her. But in her defense, she had really needed some alone time, to do something normal and mundane that, instead of making her feel better, was bringing her to the brink of hysterics. And once again Deeks saved her mind from going wild. He had a habit of sneaking into her thoughts when she least expected it. _Damn him and those blue eyes… wait, where did that come from?_

Once all the cereal was placed back in its original stack, Kensi sighed in relief. Deeks had been watching the range of emotions on her face while he helped the guy clean up, and his heart went out to her. He understood wanting to do something for yourself, no matter how menial, and that sometimes even the simplest tasks were too much too soon.

"So, you were saying about sexy men cleaning up messes and getting dates?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she put her finger up to her lips, pretending to think.

"Well, the clerk seemed a little young, not really my type. Eh, oh well. Maybe next time." Kensi smirked at him and attempted to turn and walk away with the basket, but the basket had other ideas and she ended up hitting Deeks with it, who let out a yelp.

"Oh my God, Deeks. I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" Deeks was rubbing his thigh where the cart had struck him.

"Geez, Kensi. I hope your actual driving skills aren't this bad. Wait a second, you didn't drive here today, did you? Because if so, I don't know how you made it in one piece. Or more accurately, how you didn't end up injuring someone else along the way. You didn't do a hit and run did you?" By now, his eyes held a sparkle and she knew he was messing with her.

"You're hilarious. For your information, no I did not drive. Callen did." Hearing the other man's name, Deeks started looking around, now wondering why he wasn't here helping her.

Kensi saw the questioning look in his eyes and answered it. "I made him go somewhere else. I wanted to do something by myself, because really, who knew pushing a basket with one hand was going to be this hard?"

Deeks nodded his head at her, understanding now. "Okay, I'm going to let you in on a little secret, but only because I value my life as well as the other patrons here and I don't feel like working right now." He took a step forward, taking her good arm and moving her to the side of the basket, making her hand take it. He hadn't meant anything by the move, but now that he was standing this close to her, touching her, he couldn't seem to make himself move. He knew he was risking life and limb but he had heard the slight hitch in her breath when his skin met hers and he smiled inwardly, glad he wasn't the only one affected.

"If you pull the basket from the side instead of pushing from the front, you'll have more control." His voice was soft, and Kensi couldn't help the goose bumps that followed. She turned her head and looked at him, their eyes locking together. Time stopped for a minute, each of them being unable to look away. The electrical current running from his hand where it was on her arm almost too much to bear.

A little boy ran by, his arms out and making an airplane noise, snapping them both out of the moment. Deeks took a step back, bringing his hand with him, leaving them both a little breathless.

"So uh, yeah." He glanced around, suddenly uncomfortable, when his eyes landed on the objects she had already put in the basket.

"Really? Four boxes?" His eyes flicked to hers, amusement showing. Kensi had the grace to look a little embarrassed, but only for a second before she narrowed her eyes at him.

"It has to last me for two weeks, until I get cleared to drive." If Deeks had been drinking something, he was sure it would have come out of his nose at that point.

"Four boxes for two weeks?! You don't think that's a bit excessive?" His eyebrows shot up as he looked between the Twinkies and her.

"Nah. I'll get ice cream, too, so I will be fine." Deeks could tell that Kensi was completely serious and he felt his blood sugar rising just thinking about it. Instead of saying anything, he just shook his head at her, smiling. Kensi shrugged her shoulders and turned, pulling the basket with her. _Damn, this is a lot easier than trying to push the basket._

She turned her head, seeing him trying to nonchalantly follow her. Instead of saying anything, she grabbed what she needed on this aisle and continued on, Deeks always a few steps behind her but never making eye contact with her. She finally stopped and turned to face him head on.

"Stalking is illegal, you know that right?" She put her hand on her hip for effect but she couldn't keep the smile off her face when he started turning around dramatically, looking behind him for someone else.

"Oh, are you talking to me?"

"Deeks, what could you possibly need regarding feminine products? Unless… "

Suddenly Deeks realized what aisle they had made it to. He had been placing random things in his basket as he watched her, wanting to make sure she didn't need any help with anything.

"I can assure you I am not a female." He blushed a little before he caught onto her meaning. "And… okay, you know what? No, I don't need anything this particular aisle. And I have no idea what's in my cart right now. I just wanted to make sure all the other displays were safe since you were on the move. I'd hate for the clerk to have to clean up another mess." He smirked at her, quickly turning to laughter when she threw a package of pads at him.

"Do what you want, it's a free country. Just don't try bumper baskets right now. I'm in no condition to play."

Deeks' eyes widened at her comment and he grinned. "So that means when the shoulder is healed you will participate in bumper baskets?"

"Guess we will have to wait and see, huh?" She turned, the fact that she was flirting making her cheeks flushed, and got what she needed before walking on. Deeks continued to follow her, occasionally picking something up. This time, however, they made small talk while Kensi got what she needed. Twenty minutes later, she texted Callen to let him know she was in the checkout line.

"Do you have any idea what you're about to pay money for?" She glanced in his basket, and the assortment of batteries, pink rubber gloves, mac and cheese and… "Deeks, why do you have nail polish?"

"You never know when one will need," he looked down at the color, "hot pink nail polish. Just sayin."

"Are you really going to buy all that nonsense that you don't need?" She was starting to feel bad for him, which was weird. He was a nice guy who helped her clean up her mess, and if he had been anyone else, she was sure she would have kicked his ass by now. She didn't need two arms to know how to take someone down to their knees. But with him, she found it amusing, and a little touching, that he had wanted to make sure she didn't need any more help. She shook her head a little to clear it, and looked back at him.

"Nope. Once you leave, I'll sort the cart and get the stuff I need. And I know you didn't _want_ any other help, and I didn't _have_ to try and pretend to be grocery shopping, but I just wanted to make sure."

"Thank, Deeks. Really. That was very sweet, even though you didn't have to do it."

He helped her unload her basket, making comments about the amount of sugar treats and Kensi just rolled her eyes at him. He had left his basket next to the check out and proceeded to push it outside for her once she had paid.

Callen pulled up to curb then, popping the trunk to his car. His sunglasses were tinted, but Kensi and Deeks could feel like questioning, if not amused, look he was giving them.

"Mario Andretti here took out a cereal box display," Deeks fessed up, laughing at the look of almost horror on Callen's face.

"Kens, really?"

"It was an accident, geez! I don't want to hear it, either, Callen. I'm not the one spending the day at Defensive Driving." She tilted her head at him and he was smart enough not to retort. The woman did have a point.

Once all the bags were in the car, Kensi turned towards Deeks again while Callen got in the car.

"I guess I'll see you around then, huh?" She brought her good hand up and shielded her eyes against the sun as she looked at him. "Thanks for your help."

"Absolutely. And let me know when you're ready for bumper baskets." She smiled at him, which Deeks returned. She didn't know what else to say, so she just nodded her head at him and turned, getting in the car.

After putting on her seatbelt she heard Deeks tap Callen's side of the window. Curious to what Deeks may want, Callen glanced at Kensi before he rolled down the window.

"What's up Deeks?"

"Oh nothing figured I would give you something before both of you leave." Amusement played on his face as he handed a business card to Callen.

Callen raised his eyebrows in question. "Why would I need your business card? Did you forget I already have your number?"

Deeks looked over caught Kensi's gaze, smiling mischievously at her. "Oh, you know, for emergencies because with the amount of sugar Kensi bought I feel like I will be getting a call soon for a patient who went into a diabetic coma."

He winked at Kensi when he said it, watching a small blush cross her cheeks. Callen snorted at hearing that, muttering something along the lines of "dude has a death wish", but he pocketed the card nonetheless.

"You're a real comedian aren't you?" Her glare did nothing to him as he just laughed out loud with Callen joining him. "Just drive," she humph'ed facing the other way, not letting Deeks she the small smile she was trying to contain.

Deeks stood there and watched as the car drove away. He was usually a lot more smooth when it came to women - he couldn't get a read on her and it left him flustered - but he had made up for it and now the ball was in her court. And while he had no idea how or when he was going to see her again, he knew it was only a matter of time. He started whistling as he walked back into the store, smiling.

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_AN - so... you made it this far, now it's time to leave a review and let me know what you thought of it. :) _


	5. Chapter 5

_There's aren't enough ways to say thank you to bookdiva, justareader07 and CoastalReader for their help, ideas and encouragement. You guys are amazing!_

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Kensi sat at her desk, looking around at the Office of Special Projects. She had been released the week before to return to work, but it was desk duty only for a while. Her arm was out of the sling now, and the physical therapy - while a pain in the ass - was helping. She hated not being able to go out in the field yet, but she was also smart enough to know that if she tried right now, she would only be a hindrance, and there was no way she was going to put Callen and Sam's life at stake because of her pride.

Speaking of those two, they needed to hurry up with lunch. Scanning her desk, her eyes landed on the business card that only one person could have put there. The day she had come back to work, a small piece of paper was tucked away under her computer, the edge of it just peeking out. Kensi had dismissed it at first, thinking it was just another piece of paper strewn about her desk. It wasn't until later that day, when she had moved her laptop over a little that she had realized what it was.

Not that she would ever tell him, but Kensi had searched her house when Callen had finally left, looking for the card, disappointed when she realized he hadn't left it hidden somewhere for her to find later. She had started off slow, casually glancing at the most obvious places and before she knew it, she was checking drawers and under plates like a mad woman. When she had finally come to her senses, she had grabbed a Twinkie and her ice cream and forced him from her mind. No man had caused her to lose her mind like that in a long time… hell not even Jack made her act like that.

She stared at Deeks' name, swearing she could still feel where he had touched her, both at the hospital and the grocery store. She shivered involuntarily before shaking her head. Her mind seemed to be wandering to him more often since their last meeting, and more often than not she wanted to pull her phone out and text him.

She leaned back in her chair, bringing the business card up in front of her face, staring at it. She remembered vividly the way he looked with the sun behind him up on the roof. At that time, she really had thought he was an angel, there to take her away to the life beyond this one. And she had been strangely calm with the acceptance of it. She had lived a good life, been able to save innocent people and help those that needed it. And she would get to see her dad again, the one man she missed more than life itself.

But then, she had woken up in the hospital, dazed because of the drugs but well aware that the angel she thought was going to take her away from here had actually been there to save her in a more literal way. Once the drugs wore off a little and she had been more coherent, Callen had held her hand as he answered the only thing she had been able to ask - how's Dom?

Kensi sighed, the guilt still heavy on her shoulders. It didn't matter that he had already been dead by the time she made it over to him, she still felt like she had failed him. She would never forget him and hoped that he had known the team had done everything they could to save him. Callen had told her how Deeks had taken out the man who had shot her and then rushed over, putting pressure on her wound and then relating what the doctor had told them - Deeks had saved her life.

So when Callen had brought Deeks into the hospital room, and she had seen her angel for the first time up close and without illusions, she swears she stopped breathing. Kensi took note of the way he had stopped short, too, the look in his eyes making her heart rate increase because she could see she wasn't the only one affected.

What she couldn't understand was why. She had met plenty of men over the years, never finding anyone worth going on a second date with. It wasn't that she was purposely crossing them off the list before the dinner had even started - okay, maybe she was - but no one had ever really challenged her or made her feel alive.

After Jack, and the heartbreak she had endured for years after his leaving, she had vowed to herself that if she ever settled down with someone, it wouldn't be out of a sense of duty or because it was the right thing to do. It would be because she couldn't imagine a life without them. She wasn't stupid, she knew there would bad times and things to work through, but the right person would stand by her no matter what, help shoulder her problems instead of adding to them without thought to her.

She wanted to _live_, to feel alive and she needed someone who understood that. Because with the tragedy, death and threat of unimaginable things happening on a daily basis, she needed someone who would give her a life raft, not leave her to tread water on her own.

'_You jump, I jump_.' Four words with so much power and meaning to them. What girl didn't want their own Jack to their Rose? A man who put their own needs to the side when his woman needed it - and even when she didn't.

In the few minutes she had spent with Deeks in the hospital room, his energy and playfulness had helped ease her pain, even if for a second. And he had come to her rescue at the grocery store, somehow teasing her and making her feel better at the same time. Not only had he helped the clerk clean up the boxes, he had shown her the easiest way to maneuver the basket and then followed her to make sure she didn't need anything else.

She had found the conversation easy, and Kensi felt heat rising to her cheeks when she remembered flirting with him. It was an art form in and of itself, one she prided herself on when she undercover and needed to get information. Personally, it never came out the way she intended it, or it was always the same thing and she got bored. But Deeks had thrown her for a loop and she realized she enjoyed the back and forth between them. And that was almost dangerous for her.

Because of the heartache she had barely survived in her past, she had built up walls to keep everyone at arm's length. She knew that she could take down men twice her size at work, and it would take someone with Goliath strength to make it through the fortress around her heart. And while she did want someone to share things with, not just any guy would do. She was scared to take that leap with anyone - her heart unable to take any more breaks - and she often found herself eating ice cream on her couch in the middle of the night wondering if it was all worth it. Her eyes would land on the picture of her and Jack right after he proposed and she knew that there was no way she could go through that again.

Setting the business card down on the desk, she sighed and looked towards the door, wishing the guys would get back and interrupt her thoughts. She didn't like spending this much time thinking about a man she barely knew along with everyone who had left her. They were dangerous thoughts she usually reserved for when she was alone, but having any kind of _something_ with an almost perfect stranger was bringing everything to the forefront. She tried to think of something - _anything_ - else, needing to find another thing to focus on than_ him_.

But even if she could keep her mind away from him during the day, he had this annoying habit of showing up in her dreams. Her subconscious finding a way to bring him back - whether it was on the rooftop or the hospital, their initial meetings had been etched into her brain without her knowing it. The sounds of his voice, the way his eyes held a sparkle… but most of all, it was his touch that she couldn't seem to forget.

As she brought her hand up to her arm, putting it over the same place his hand had been, the guys walked in. Kensi jumped a little, embarrassed at what she was remembering and being caught. Well, not caught, because they didn't know what was going on in her head, but she still felt like they knew. Callen's smirk at her told her everything.

"Guess who we saw…" Callen's voice rang with amusement, his voice cutting through her inner monologue and his eyes bore into hers. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Tacos?" Deeks looked over at Laura and saw her nod, the silent agreement causing him to steer the ambulance towards his favorite food truck… which just happened to be near the beach. They had just transported a patient to the hospital and knew it was now or never to eat, even though there was a chance they could get called out while on their impromptu lunch break.

"We need to talk, Deeks." Laura swung her head over to watch him as he drove. He was her partner, but more than that he was her friend. And friends looked out for each other.

Deeks let out a low whistle. "Good things never follow when a woman says that." He flicked his eyes to her and raised his eyebrows before putting them back on the road.

"Don't give me that shit. You _know_ what I'm talking about."

Deeks started shaking his head. "Nope. No clue. There could be a plethora of things you think I may have done - which I haven't, by the way - and instead of incriminating myself with guessing, I'm pleading the fifth."

"And that's the issue, right there!" Laura pointed her finger at him and Deeks' face showed genuine confusion. He parked the ambulance and got out, waiting for Laura.

"What exactly is the issue? I didn't_ do _anything."

Laura took her place next to Deeks as they started walking towards the food truck, the smell of the ocean and food taking over.

"Precisely, counselor. You meet a woman, who I know is on your mind a lot more than you let on, and you tell me without actually telling me that there's some kind of connection there, but you haven't _done_ anything about it."

Deeks scoffed at her. It was scary how well she knew him sometimes.

"What is there to do? I told you about the grocery store incident. I gave Callen my card hoping he would leave it for her. Did he? I don't know. But the next move is hers. I'm not going to chase someone who doesn't want to be caught."

Laura put her hand on her hip as she waited for him to order before following suit. She let the silence stay there while they waited for their food and then got settled on the bench facing the water.

"Is that why you haven't mentioned any new ladies in your life lately? You're waiting on her?" She took a bite of her taco, watching him shake his head a little.

"You want honesty?" He looked at her, seriousness in his voice, and she nodded at him.

"I'm tired of meaningless relationships. One night stands, one or two dates because I feel like I have to do that… that's not what I want. I want something that has stable ground and will withstand time rather than a passing fling to fill a void. As you said eloquently put,_ I _think there could be a connection there, and if I'm right, I'm not going to ruin whatever could be before it even gets started. I'm willing to wait and see what happens."

Deeks stopped talking and gulped realizing what he had just revealed, not even knowing that's how he felt. Sure, he had thought about this for a while now - even before Kensi - but he hadn't found someone who he could see a future with. And while he had only seen Kensi once outside of the hospital, he knew if he gave this time and let it happen without forcing it... it might be something timeless.

"Wow. To be honest, I wasn't sure I would ever see the day when you would want the happily ever after. Please don't think I'm not ecstatic about that, because I am, but at what point do you let it happen naturally before you find out it slipped through your fingers? What I'm trying to say is slow and steady is great, but don't stop altogether or she won't be there. If you really think there might be something there, do something - help it along."

Deeks stared at the ocean while he thought about her words. He knew there was some truth there, that if he wanted something he needed to go after it before it rolled out like the tide, but he was hesitant in actually doing anything.

Deeks was just about to respond to her when he heard someone clearing their throat behind. He started shaking his head when he realized who it was.

"How uh… how long have you been standing there?" A pair of blue eyes pierced his before the man shrugged his shoulders.

"A while." Deeks just pursed his mouth together as he nodded his head before another thought hit him.

"How much did you hear?"

Callen looked over at Sam and saw the big man tilt his head. Callen met Laura's gaze for a minute before looking back at Deeks.

"How much did we hear, Sam?" Deeks looked between the two of them, eyebrows raised.

"Enough." Sam cracked his knuckles and Deeks took a deep breath.

"Look -"

"Don't worry, Deeks. If we didn't think you had somewhat honorable intentions, we wouldn't be having this little chat."

Callen smirked at Deeks and Laura sat back watching them, recognizing them from the roof top. So these guys worked with Kensi and were aware of the… challenge of forcing someone to make the next move here. Just as she was wondering if the guys were on her side or not, Callen shot her a look that she could only describe as determination. She tilted her head slightly at him, asking if they were on the same page, and his small nod told her they were definitely on her side.

Deeks saw the smile cross his partners face and shook his head in defeat. It appeared they were ganging up on him, and he was powerless to stop it.

"It's a two way street you know." Deeks looked between Sam and Callen before narrowing his eyes at Laura, letting her know that the interference was ungrounded, unnecessary and they would be chatting about this later.

"Trust me, Deeks, we are well aware of that. But hearing your little speech there gave us the confidence that _if_ we do some pushing, it won't be so she can be another notch on your bedpost."

Deeks immediately stood up, shaking his head. "No… no that's-"

Sam took a step forward and slapped Deeks' shoulder. "We got that." He gave the shaggy blonde a small smile before turning to Callen.

"Come on. If Kensi doesn't get food soon, she's going to start eating those damn Twinkies again."

Eyebrows raised and a smile on his face, Deeks looked at them. "So she's good? Back at work?"

Laura wiggled her eyebrows at his question as she looked at Callen, waiting on his response.

"Yeah, she came back last week. She's on desk duty, which she hates, but she hasn't killed anyone at work yet, so we see it as a win."

Deeks couldn't tell if they were joking or not, but the serious look on both of their faces told him they probably weren't.

"Well, yeah, that's always good. Right?" What the hell was he getting himself into?

"Like I said, it's a win. It's preferable she put her shooting skills to the test in the field instead of an intern. But that's something we've been working with her on, and the lesson seems to be taking root."

Sam immediately looked at Callen. "Well, except for Joe. Although he had that coming to him."

"We did warn him against sneaking up on her." Callen just shrugged his shoulders.

"Wait… what happened to Joe?" Deeks had a confused look on his face.

"Let's just say when Kensi is in the shooting range, her last bullet is saved to make sure the guy never has kids. At least she didn't have her weapon out when Joe cleared his throat."

Deeks immediately paled. "Oh come on, you just don't _do_ that. The non-de-plumes are a very sacred area, you can't just go around impaling men like that, bullet or otherwise." He could only imagine the death that poor Joe had wished for after that.

"Eh, what can you do? At least the girl knows how to take care of herself." The look Sam gave him told him to make sure he remembered that. Deeks gave a nod of his head, words failing him for once.

"Okay Sam, let's get the food and get back." Callen stepped forward and shook Deeks' hand before doing the same with Laura, this time slipping something into her hand. She nonchalantly put her hand in her pocket after that and watched the men walk away.

As soon as they got their order and had left, Deeks looked over at Laura.

"So, what did Callen slip you?" Laura would never make it as an undercover agent. The immediate blush and shocked look on her face giving her away.

"How did you know?" She pulled the piece of paper out and looked at it, confirming what she already thought was there.

"Give me more credit than that Laura. I survived months of deep undercover knowing how to spot things like that." They started making their way back to the ambulance and Deeks looked over at her, hands in his pockets.

"Did he slip you his number? Surprised he wasn't put out by the huge rock on your finger." He smiled at her and waited for her answer.

"A number, yes. But not his." She held the paper out to him and saw a guy's hand writing with Kensi's name along with her phone number.

Deeks immediately started laughing and climbed into the cab, his heart rate increasing at the idea that the he now had a direct way to contact her. Now he just needed to figure out if and when he used this.

* * *

_AN - If you are ready for some Densi interaction, the next chapter will have it. Leave a review... they mean the world! :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_CoastalReader and justareader07 were amazing in helping me with thoughts and checking this over for me. Thanks guys!_

* * *

Kensi tied her running shoes and stood up, rolling her shoulders a little. She was still a little sore, the doctor having released her two days ago to return to work full duty, and she _may_ have overdone it when she sparred with Sam. Kensi knew he had gone easy on her, but she couldn't sit back and not give 100%, no matter what. So when she went to flip him over, she felt the twinge and had ended up losing her grip on him, giving him the upper hand to spin her around and knock her feet out from under her, leaving her sprawled out on the ground.

Sam had immediately helped her up and gotten her an ice pack, leaving a grumbling Kensi sitting on the mat in the gym. Kensi had realized that even though she was back, she needed to take it easy when she could… at least for a little while longer.

But today, the sun was shining and it was a beautiful morning for a run. She opened the door and felt the warmth on her face, immediately filling her with energy. She took off down the street, heading for the beach four blocks away.

As her feet hit the cement, she pushed all thoughts from her mind, focusing on her breathing and letting the music flow through her. Before she knew it, the salt air was engulfing her senses and she saw the waves crash onto the shore. Several people were on their boards, taking advantage of the surf. She glanced back in front of her and watching the other souls who were on their morning runs.

One guy caught her eye, the sun glistening off tanned skin that was shiny with sweat. He was wearing red shorts and had forgone the shirt (which she was silently thankful for) and watched as muscles rippled while his arms made the swinging motion as he ran. She let her eyes drift down a little, noting muscular legs and, if she was honest with herself, a pretty nice ass to go with it. She slowed her gait a little, admiring the view a little longer. The guy could do with a haircut, though. Kensi didn't usually go for the shaggy type.

'Shaggy' brought to mind Deeks. She still hadn't gotten up the courage to call or text him. Not that she didn't want to, but it never seemed like the right time to do it. Kensi continued to stare at the man in front of her, lost in thought wondering if Deeks would look that good without a shirt on.

Deeks felt someone staring holes into him for the last mile or so, and he slowed down a little, noting that the pounding of feet behind him slowed a little too. Thinking that was a little strange, he nonchalantly snuck a glance behind him going around a corner and he almost tripped. Kensi was running behind him, and if he had seen correctly, staring at his ass.

His heart rate picked up, wondering if she knew it was him. Just as he thought that, he dismissed it. She had a faraway look on her face and there was a smile on her lips, but she hadn't looked at his face when he went around the corner, telling him she was lost in her own world right now. Figuring this was his chance, he slowed to a walk and turned, just in time for Kensi to slam into him.

"Whoa what the hell?" Kensi's voice was surprised and her hands instinctively went out in front of her to steady herself, only to be met with solid muscle. Her eyes flicked up and went wide and she realized just _who _she had been following, and now he was holding her steady.

When Kensi had run into him, Deeks had put his hands up to her arms and he hoped she didn't feel the thunder of his heart when her hands met his chest. Without thinking, he started rubbing his hands up and down her arms, feeling the goose bumps where his touch had been.

Kensi couldn't move much less breathe. Her hands were currently on a very solid, muscular, shirtless chest and Deeks was rubbing his hands up and down her arms. She stared into his eyes, willing herself to back up and run away quickly, but instead she was just opening and closing her mouth like a fish. It wasn't until she forced her eyes down to his mouth – which was extremely kissable – and noticed the smirk there that she was able to start getting control of her emotions. '_Damn him and his hot body.'_

"You can let go now, Deeks." She was still staring at his mouth, and it took her a minute to look back at his eyes, which held an incredible blue sparkle to them.

"Hey Kensi?" He raised his eyebrows at her, amused and incredibly happy with her reaction to him and waited while she tried to sort things out in her brain.

"What?" Coherent thought was obviously an issue right now.

"I'm not touching you. You're the one who can't get your hands off of me." He winked at her and saw the blush rise quickly to her cheeks as she looked at her hands – which were still on his chest – and quickly yanked them back before taking a step back, putting space between them.

"Right. Sorry about that." He smiled at her, getting a good look at her. Her face was flushed, both from exercise and embarrassment, her hair was slightly disheveled and her skin had a sheen of sweat on it. Everything about this woman was sexy, and Deeks couldn't look away if his life depended on it.

Both of them taking a minute to gain their composure, Deeks finally brought his hand up to the back of his neck, rubbing it nervously.

"So, how's the chest?" He saw the still healing scar but it looked good. Once it was healed completely you wouldn't be able to see it unless you really looked.

"Better every day." She smiled, unconsciously rotating her shoulders again.

"Back at work, huh?" He watched her, able to see the apprehension flash before it was quickly replaced with relief.

"Yep. The doc cleared me for full duty a few days ago." Deeks put on an impressed look on his face while he nodded his head.

"Nice. So how does it feel to be back?" It's like he couldn't move on, and now the conversation seemed to be stalling out because he was too chicken shit to say anything else. Laura would be falling over with laughter if she saw this right now. It would give her years of ammo to tease him with, and right now he wouldn't blame her. His lady skills were seriously lacking with Kensi.

Kensi's face took on an amused look, like she knew this was out of character for him. "It feels good. Another week or so and I'll be able to take down Sam again."

"Something tells me you tried that already."

"He got lucky."

Deeks let out a laugh and knew she was telling the truth. He thought back to what Callen and Sam and told him about her and the way she could kick ass without batting an eyelash. He had already seen that side of her on the rooftop, now he was determined to see the woman side of her.

Before he could say anything else – like ask her on a date – she glanced at her watch and sighed.

"Well, I gotta get going if I'm going to make it to work on time."

"Right, yeah, work. Luckily I still have a few more hours before my shift." She gave him a small smile and went to turn and head back the way she came when he stopped her by taking her arm.

"Hey Kensi?"

She looked at her arm where his hand was, the heat searing her skin, before looking back into his eyes.

"Yeah Deeks?" He took his hand away, the physical connection lost for the second time in minutes and stared at her.

"Be careful out there. I don't want to have to patch you up again." He winked at her again, giving her a large grin and she just shook her head at him, unable to stop the smile.

"Yeah yeah. Take it easy Deeks." She let herself get lost in his eyes for a second longer before giving a nod and turning, jogging back.

Deeks stared at her retreating back, taking a page from her book and admiring the way her ass looked in the workout shorts and the graceful way she moved until he couldn't see her anymore. He hadn't asked her out, but their chance meetings were getting closer in between. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

Eric whistled from above, calling the troops up to his lair. Kensi jumped up, ready to get going and Sam and Callen both shook their heads at her, watching her bounce up the steps. They had noticed the good mood the younger agent was in and were both speculating on what could have caused it. Sam put his money on finding a new favorite donut, Callen put ten dollars on Kensi scheming on how to best Sam, and Eric put twenty on new shoes. Both Callen and Sam had just raised their eyebrows at him, but knew saying anything meant taking money out of their pocket.

"What do you have for us, Eric?" Callen walked in last, everyone taking their normal places around the room. Eric was punching away on his keyboard, bringing images up to the big screen. With the absence of Dom, everything seemed off. Everyone was in their respective places, but the open void next to Kensi was painfully obvious to everyone.

As Eric went on about the murdered Navy Chief Petty Officer, Kensi couldn't get her mind off the literal run-in with Deeks earlier. She had been so stunned that not only had she been unable to notice when he had let go of her, but she had been almost reluctant to take her hands off of him. Her reaction to him was unsettling at the least, and she didn't know how she felt about it yet. It was good that she had time to figure it out before she made an even bigger fool out of herself.

"Kens? You with us?" Sam raised an eyebrow at her, a sly smirk on his face.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"You want to go with us to talk to the brother or sit here and daydream some more?"

Kensi narrowed her eyes at both of them before muttering something under her breath and walking out. Callen shook his head while Sam outright laughed. Before leaving, though, the boys couldn't help but tease her a little.

"Hey Sam? You think it was the baby blues that got her?"

"Nah. I bet it was the fluffy hair."

"You guys can kiss my ass." Kensi glared at them, using all of her training to keep her face serious and the blush off of her cheeks.

Callen crossed her arms. "Don't be mad at us. You're the one that's stuck-"

Sam piped up. "Smitten."

Callen shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. The sooner you stop denying it, the better it will be for everyone." He checked his gun and tucked it away, leaving a stuttering Kensi behind him.

The car ride to the brother's place was quiet, the guys deciding they had teased Kensi enough for right now. They hadn't known for sure where her mind was, but her reaction to their comments had sealed the deal.

"Kens, you take back, be watchful. Hopefully it won't come to that, but Eric said he likes to run." Kensi nodded at her team leader, getting into game mode now.

"Got it." She reached behind her and grabbed her gun, holding it down while she circled the small house. Before she made it to the back, she heard the back door slam shut.

"He's running! NCIS, stop!" Kensi took off, relaying to Callen and Sam the road they were turning onto. She was gaining ground, trying to anticipate his next move. She looked ahead and saw a park coming up. No way did they need to bring a possible killer into an area with children.

Kensi took a breath before using all her strength to speed up, before getting close enough to launch herself at him, tackling him to the ground. The both rolled, Kensi immediately grabbing her shoulder. She had landed at an angle and the force of the hit knocked the breath out of her. Before she could get up, the familiar screech of tires were there and Callen and Sam's voice yelling saved her from having to kick this guys ass for making her tackle him.

"Kens? You okay?" She nodded at Callen but the words wouldn't come out.

"Eric, call an ambulance. See if our favorite paramedic is on duty and free. I have a feeling he would want to see how his patient is doing now." He heard the 10-4 from Eric as he kneeled next to Kensi, seeing the pain in her eyes and knowing she would never acknowledge it out loud.

Before Kensi could say she was fine, Eric was chirping in their ears. "EMS is on their way, ETA 2 minutes with a certain paramedic on board." She could hear the laughter in his voice and gritted her teeth to keep the sharp retort from coming out.

Taking a deep breath, Kensi sat up, hand still rubbing her shoulder. She watched as Sam zip tied the suspect and sat him on the ground.

"Nice save there, Kens. I don't think we would have made it in time to keep him from going into the park." Callen placed his hand on her good shoulder before standing, the sirens of the ambulance making it's eerie wails through the streets.

"Seriously Callen, I'm good. No need to call the cavalry in for God's sake." She said the words but there wasn't any heat to them, the thought of seeing Deeks twice in one day, no matter what the circumstances were, too good to let go of.

"Well, figured you would be too stubborn to have it checked out at the hospital. At least this way a professional can look it over for you."

Kensi opened her mouth to tell him she was fine again, she didn't need anyone to look it over, but he stopped her. "This or the hospital. You're choice. Besides, I highly doubt you really mind."

The brunette closed her mouth and glared at the team leader as the ambulance pulled up. She gave a heavy sigh before standing up, hearing the vehicle doors open and close. She decided against turning his direction, not wanting to see his reaction.

Deeks hopped out, watching out of the corner of his eye as Kensi stood up, keeping her back to him. He could see the way she was holding her shoulder, rolling it gently every now and then. Just by sight he could see that she had probably just tweaked it, nothing major that wouldn't right itself in a day or two, but he wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by.

Laura nudged his shoulder as she walked next to him, winking at him as they walked up.

"Callen, Sam." He shook the two men's hands before walking around in front of his patient.

"Kensi." She rolled her eyes at him but couldn't help the small smile that was forming.

"Deeks."

"What did I tell you this morning?" He put his bag on the ground and Sam and Callen immediately looked at each other before looking back at Deeks.

"What exactly did you tell her this morning?" Suddenly everyone was very interested in his answer. Deeks chuckled before putting his hand on hers and moving it away from her shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure I told you to be careful because I didn't want to have to patch you up again." He kept his eyes on hers as he slowly worked her shoulder around, moving it in different directions and checking the wound site just below it. Her range of motion was good, and other than a little swelling around the area, which was to be expected, he knew she would be okay.

"And you didn't listen to that little piece of advice, I see. You know, there are easier ways to spend time with me. I've been told I'm one hell of a dinner companion." He wiggled his eyebrows and she stuck her tongue out at him, unable to think of anything more mature. Was he implying they should go on a date?

"Really? That's your response to a dinner invitation?" He put his hand over his heart, feigning hurt.

"That wasn't an invitation. That was a statement of something you've heard. You can't make an observation and then try and spin it to ask a question. It confuses everybody."

"Touche."

"Touche." Deeks looked at her confused.

"No Kens. You can't say touche back."

"I can… and I did." Wow, she was really liking the way he said her name. Usually it was just the guys who used the shortened name for her, but with Deeks it felt a lot more intimate.

"Okay, I'm not going to argue the right way to use that phrase right now. Come on, Urlacher, I've got something in the back of the wagon to help with the pain."

"Did you just compare me to a football player, Deeks? That's not exactly the way to win a woman over you know." She followed the laughter, admiring the way his blue uniform pants hugged his butt.

"If you don't stop staring at my ass you're going to run into me again." He took the last few steps to the ambulance, hearing her snort behind him and knowing he had called her out on her actions.

"Don't try to deny it, Princess." He hopped into the back, putting his hand out to her and helping her up.

"Princess?" She sat on the gurney while he rummaged around. She heard a faint 'ah-ha' and heard the crinkle of packaging she was entirely too familiar with.

"Deeks -"

"One Twinkie, coming up." He whipped around, the Twinkie in hand and watched as her eyes lit up like a christmas tree. He was now sending up a silent thanks for the purchase he had made in case of an event just like this.

"Deeks… you have a Twinkie stash?" She stuffed half of the cream filled delight in her mouth, moaning.

"Well, yeah." He watched in gross fascination as she ate the treat in two bites, enjoying the noises she was making while eating it.

"I didn't peg you as the Twinkie type, Deeks." She smiled at him, thinking they had something in common.

"I'm not." He let his comment hang there, tilting his head at her and watched as her smile faltered. Before she could say anything else, he pulled out an Icy Hot Patch and moved her shirt out of the way a little, doing his best to be professional and not stare down her shirt.

"Okay, this will help with the soreness later on. The earlier you get stuff like this going, the better it will be in a few hours. Keep alternating ice and heat tonight and try not to use it much for the next two days, and you will be right as rain."

He smiled at her before tearing off a piece of paper and writing something on it. He turned back and handed the paper to her.

"Here's my number. If it starts hurting more than normal or something just doesn't seem right, let me know." She glanced down, saw his number there and she shook her head, handing it back to him.

"I don't need this." She saw the pained look on his face and rushed forward without thinking. "I mean, I already have it." Instantly, his face broke out in a grin and he nodded while Kensi silently cursed herself for letting that slip.

"Good to know."

"Thanks, Deeks. Again." He just nodded at her and they sat there looking at each other, Deeks' hand going back to her injured shoulder and rubbing it gently. He had started to wonder if maybe he was pushing the envelope, but she closed her eyes and hummed in appreciation, leaning slightly towards him.

"Hey Deeks. Is she going to live?" Callen was leaning against the door, watching them both jump at his voice.

"Ha. Yeah, uh… yeah, shoulder will be okay in a day or two. She's going to smell like Bengay for a while, but as long as she doesn't make another linebacker move too soon she will be just fine."

Kensi was busy climbing out of the ambulance, missing his touch but thankful in a way that Callen had shown up when he did. She didn't need to let her guard down like that, but every time she was around Deeks he managed to slip past her armor like it wasn't even there.

Deeks had seen that invisible wall go back up and knew he couldn't let her leave like that. Just as she was about to walk away from him - again - he wanted to make sure she wouldn't forget him.

"Hey Kens? If you have it, you should use it." She turned and stared at him, seeing sincerity with a touch of longing and… was he daring her?

"We'll see."

"I _know_ I've heard that before. You can talk the talk, but will you walk the walk?" He threw the challenge at her and was rewarded with a glare, making him laugh.

Kensi didn't say anything else, just shaking her head and turned, hating her weak resolve already and knowing she would end up using that number sooner rather than later.

* * *

_AN - I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I loved writing it. Leave a review and let me know. They make my day!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Huge massive thank you to justareader07 and CoastalReader for their help and ideas._

_Hope y'all enjoy!_

* * *

Jose sat at the bar, slowly sipping his beer as he checked out the beautiful women around him. He had been out of prison for a week now, and he was relishing in his freedom. He had hated every second of the time he spent in his cell, vowing everyday that somehow, someway he would get his revenge.

He took another glance around the room, wondering which lucky lady would be selected tonight for some fun when he noticed a very familiar figure walk in the door. He watched out of the corner of his eye, making sure they couldn't see his face, as the woman and three men walked over to a booth on the other side of the bar. Another blonde haired man who had been sitting at the bar spotted them too and got up, taking his beer to join the table.

Well, well, well. It looked like his plans for revenge had just fallen into his lap. He gave a sinister smile before turning to his left a little, able to keep an eye on them without outright staring. He didn't want to get caught before the fun could get started. Oh yes, this would be interesting indeed. He had some time to figure out how to pull this off, but he knew there wouldn't be another opportunity like this so it _had_ to work.

* * *

Kensi sat at her desk, pretending to work while her mind was a million miles away. It had been a few days since the double run in with Deeks, and she still hadn't contacted him. He had thrown out the dare at her, and she was too hard headed to do anything about it.

On one hand, there was a reason she was closed off. She had been through a lot in her thirty years, and heartache was the one lesson she had taken from everything. Everyone that meant something to her ended up leaving her, and her heart couldn't take that again. She had a select few people she let into her tightly constructed walls, but even then it was only so much, only allowing small tidbits of info.

On the other hand, she had always had the little girl dream of a happily ever after. And she had almost had it. But her prince charming had ran _away _from her instead of _to _her when there was trouble. Years later, she could look back and be grateful for that, showing her that Jack wasn't the one for her, but then again it had devastated her. And even after she swore off men after that, her heart still held onto the dream. And something was telling her that Deeks, this moppy haired confusing mess of a man, well he might be worth the risk.

"Just pick up the phone, Kens." Callen was sitting next to her, his eyes never leaving the paper while he wrote something down.

"What? I - I uh… no idea what you're talking about." She had started stuttering in the middle of it, unaware that she had been so transparent with her thoughts.

Callen never looked up. "Do it or I will." His eyes quickly flicked to hers before back down towards the paperwork he was filling out.

"Kiss my ass, Callen." Her companion chuckled, but saw her reaching for her phone. He was all for them taking their time, but this stubbornness was getting ridiculous. You could cut the tension with a knife when they were near each other, and it was about time one of them stepped up to the plate.

Kensi sat there, phone in hand, trying to figure out what to say. Who knew it was this hard to send a text?! She took a breath and sent the only thing that didn't sound stupid.

_Hey. _

"About time." Callen had a smirk on his face as he watched Kensi throw the phone back on her desk.

"Shut up." She didn't look at him, but she had a small smile on her face now that she had actually sent the message. A minute later, her phone vibrated.

_Hey. _

Before she could type back a reply (what the hell did she say next!?), another message popped up.

_I see you CAN walk the walk. : )_

Oh, now that she could definitely respond to. Just as she was about to fire back with something extremely witty, Eric blew the shrill whistle. With a heavy sigh, she stood up and put her phone in her back pocket, planning out her reply when she had a minute to do it.

* * *

It had been seven hours since Deeks had sent Kensi his reply. He had been shocked and very pleased when his phone had beeped, and his response had been meant to be playful and teasing, but he was quickly regretting it. He still hadn't heard back from her, and he hoped she hadn't taken offense.

He was way over-thinking this. She's a federal agent, something probably came up. Of course, that was it. She was busy. But too busy to send something back to him? Deeks gave a heavy sigh and put his head on the table.

It was a slower day today, and slower days meant a more nosy Laura.

"What's going on over there, huh? I see the wheels turning, and the worried look on your face tells me that you think you did something wrong." She waited patiently, knowing he would talk if she gave him the time to do it.

"How hard is it to send back a text message?" She could tell by the look on his face when he raised it he was serious, and she held back her laugh.

"Here we go," Laura muttered. He was about to let loose.

"I mean really, a simple message. 'I'm busy.' 'TTYL.' 'I think you're amazing and would love to continue this conversation but work beckons.' I'm an easy guy, I'd go for a simple 'bye' but no, I get nothing." He laid his head back on the table, knowing he acting like a child but unable to stop himself.

"Start from the beginning. I have a good idea what happened, but you know what they say about assuming."

"I don't want to talk about it." His words were muffled as he kept his head down. Laura went to the bathroom and wet a washcloth before returning and throwing it at him, hitting him in the head.

"Bingo!" She let out a whoop of laughter while Deeks sat up and grabbed the offending weapon and launched it at her. Laura could see that move coming from a mile away and dodged it easily, doing a victory dance around the table.

"I don't know how that saint of man lives with you." Deeks was smiling at her, appreciating her efforts to both get him to talk and make him laugh.

"Ha! You're a man, of course you take his side. And for your information that statement should be switched around." Deeks was laughing at her, knowing those two were made for each other.

"So… talk to me. From the beginning, not random mumbles."

"Kensi texted me this morning." Laura's eyes lit up at this piece of info. She had figured this was what he was talking about, but really when it came to Deeks, it could have been anything.

"So that's good news, right?"

"Yeah… I guess… I mean… I replied. And replied again with 'I see you can walk the walk' thinking it was funny. But she didn't respond."

"Ah. I see what's going on here. You've suddenly turned into a hormonal teenage girl who stares at their phone willing it to ring. Or in this case chirp."

"That annoying sister thing is coming back." Laura laughed at the glare she was getting but it didn't phase her.

"I'll be serious, just hear me out. She's working now, right?" She continued once Deeks nodded in response. "And when you are working and a call comes in, you put your time and focus on the problem at hand, using your training and knowledge to diagnose correctly and give the right initial treatment, correct?"

Deeks sighed, knowing she was right and hating her for it. "Yeah."

"So, it's safe to say that if she's at work, and they got a case, she needs to put her time and energy into the case, and make sure she stays safe out there. Cut the girl some slack. She texted you first. That's huge!" She gave an encouraging thumbs up at him, and he shook his head laughing.

"I hate it when you use your logic, woman."

"Better to use my logic than sit here wallowing in a sick form of self pity that has nothing to do with anything."

Deeks looked at her, confusion on his face. "I see what you're trying to say there, but sometimes the way you say things just doesn't make sense."

Before Laura could reply, Deeks' phone chirped. He reached for it so fast he fell out of his chair, making Laura laugh so hard she had to sit down before she fell, too.

Deeks laid on the floor, phone in hand and a smile on his face. It wasn't the one he was hoping for, but it was almost as good.

* * *

Callen opened to door to the bar, letting Kensi, Sam and Eric walk in first. It had been a long day for everyone, a case coming in that had taken everyone's complete time and attention. A Naval Commander's daughter had gone missing, but the team had done what they did best, and the girl had been found alive and well and the bad guys behind bars. It was always good to finish the day on a happy ending.

They were lucky it hadn't taken as long as it could have, and Callen had invited the team out for drinks on him for a job well done.

Kensi spied a large booth that was open and immediately went towards it, letting Callen go get the first round. Eric slid in to the middle, followed by Sam who had left enough room for Callen when he got back. Kensi was scooting into the booth too when she felt another body slide up to hers.

"Hey Princess." Kensi pursed her lips together at his voice, suddenly very aware of his closeness. She turned her head and looked at him, letting a smile form.

"Hey Deeks."

Callen walked up to the table then, beers in hand. As he placed them all on the table, he glanced at Deeks.

"Glad you could make it." Deeks smiled, shaking the man's hand.

"Got off my shift about an hour ago. Offer was too _tempting _to pass up." He glanced at Kensi before looking back at him. "So, what are we celebrating?"

Callen held his beer up as the others followed suit. "A job well done." Everyone said it after him, clinking their beers together and taking a swig.

"Long day?" Deeks was looking at Kensi, seeing for the first time the tiredness in her eyes.

"Yeah, it got really hectic right after you sent the text. Sorry for not responding back." Deeks just shrugged his shoulder at her, relief that Laura had been right but not wanting to let it show.

"No worries. I figured you got busy." Oh yeah, he could play it cool when he needed to and gave himself an internal high five.

The rest of the night went smoothly, everyone taking advantage of Callen's generosity. A few hours later, Eric made his exit stating he had a game waiting on him. Sam and Callen made their way out next, Sam getting home to his family and Callen doing whatever enigmatic thing Callen did after work.

"And then there were two." They had the entire booth to themselves now, but they were still sitting close together. Over the course of the night, the two had gravitated closer and closer until their legs touched.

Kensi had been enjoying the camaraderie between everyone and had been slightly thrown off when she felt heat next to her thigh. The space between them - or lack of space - had almost thrown her off but his proximity had actually been calming to her. Usually when someone got that close to her it put her on the edge, but with Deeks, it had the opposite effect.

"And then there were two." She repeated the words, taking another sip of her beer. She had been holding steady all night, wanting to make sure she would be able to drive home. She noticed Deeks had only had a few as well, and she was happy she wouldn't have to worry about him getting home okay.

"So… feel better now after the day you had?" Deeks watched her, unable to tear his eyes away from hers. He had enjoyed spending time with her and the team this evening, and he could tell that Kensi was comfortable with him being there.

"Actually, yes."

"You sound surprised." Kensi thought about it for a minute.

"Yeah, I guess I am. I'm uh… glad that Callen invited you tonight... and that you came." Deeks smiled, his grin wide.

"Me too." Silence followed before Kensi broke the eye contact, looking around.

"Everything okay?" Deeks tilted his head at her.

"Yeah, I'm good. Just need to find the bathroom."

Deeks scooted out and put his hand out to her, the electricity sparking when she took it. He helped her out and was reluctant to let go before turning a little.

"You go do your business, I'm going to close my tab." She nodded at him and walked off while Deeks went to the bar. While standing there waiting for the bartender, he noticed the guy on the barstool towards the end watching Kensi. Well, he couldn't blame the guy.

As he was pulling his wallet out of his back pocket, he smelled horrible perfume before an arm draped around his shoulders.

"Don't tell me you're leaving so soon." A well endowed redhead had sidled up next to him and was now draping herself on him. It took everything Deeks had not to start gagging at the overwhelming smell.

"Yeah, uh… " Before he could say anything else, Kensi walked up.

"Hey honey. You ready to get out of here?"

"Oh hey Fern. I was hoping you wouldn't take long." He gracefully got out from under the redhead and put his arm around Kensi, silently telling her thank you.

"You know me, I pee fast." She smiled at Deeks, wrapping her arms around his middle and looking at the other female.

"The line is gone if you needed to use the head."

"The what?" The other woman had been staring daggers at Kensi and was now thoroughly confused by her words.

"Bathroom." Deeks said it as he paid for the drinks and wrapped his arm back around Kensi.

'Well, it was nice chatting, but we have to get home. The dog will poop everywhere if we don't take him out soon, and I'm on cleanup duty tonight. You know how that goes. Keep the little lady happy, and she makes sure her man is happy." He winked at the shocked look on the redhead's before turning and walking out, loving the feeling of having Kensi in his arms, even if it was an act.

Once they got outside, the reluctantly let go of each other. The night had gotten cooler and Kensi suddenly missed his warmth. They silently walked to her car, Kensi stopping and leaning back against the driver's side door.

"I had fun tonight, Deeks. We should do this again."

Deeks smiled at her, figuring this was as good a time as any.

"Yeah, we should. How um… what I mean… wow this went so much better in my head. Do you think next time we could make it a date?" He raised his eyebrows a little, hoping he hadn't misread the looks and touches throughout the night.

Kensi was just about to open her mouth when a man stepped out of the shadows, hitting Deeks in the back of the head with a tire iron and quickly using Kensi's shocked state to punch her, knocking her to the ground. She went to roll and grab her gun, but another man was there and before she knew it, he had put a bag over her head and tied her hands up before doing the same to her feet.

She heard a vehicle pull up and a door slam before another opened, and then felt arms picking her up, throwing her in the back with Deeks and taking off. She started wiggling around, trying to loosen something up before she felt a kick to her ribs and another punch to her face. She tried to stay awake, but it became too much and she let herself drift off into the waiting blackness, hoping she and Deeks would be okay.

* * *

_AN - leaving a review means the world you guys. Please let me know what you thought! Don't worry, good stuff coming up. :)_


	8. Chapter 8

_In honor of MY birthday TODAY, here's a chapter for you beautiful people. Ridiculous huge thanks to CoastalReader (who does so much more than I give her credit for - really, she's amazing and this story is as much hers as it is mine), justareader07 and bookdiva. Hope you all like it!_

* * *

"Something is wrong." It wasn't a question, and Sam looked at Callen before looking around the mission.

"Yeah, I feel it to." Callen acknowledged the comment with a nod and sat down.

"Eric here?" Sam nodded at the question and both sets of eyes fell onto Kensi's empty desk. Callen pulled his phone out and called her number, the unease growing when it went straight to voicemail. Sam tried right after Callen, both of them standing at the same time and hurrying up to Ops. This was like Dom all over again.

"Eric, trace Kensi's phone." Without asking questions, Eric did as requested while Callen made another call.

"Hey Laura, have you heard from Deeks?"

Just as Callen asked that, the Agent in Distress icon started flashing on the screen and then popped up on everyone's phone.

_Oh shit_ went through everyone's mind at the same time.

* * *

Deeks' head was pounding, and it was a struggle to open his eyes. He vaguely remembered what happened, well, what little he knew. He had asked Kensi on a date (sort of) and then pain and darkness. He had come to for a second when his body had hit the hard floor and heard Kensi moan before blacking out again.

_Kensi._

"Kens?" He finally got his eyes to open, but his hands and feet were tied up. The room was dark, but he could make out another form fairly close to him.

"Hey Kensi?" He started trying to inch his way towards her, but his body was rebelling. He laid there for a second, mentally doing a check. He could wiggle fingers and toes, nothing broken in the lower extremities. His arms seemed okay, but his shoulder was bruised. His ribs were aching, and while he didn't think anything was broken there, there would be some pain for a while. His rolling stomach along with the pounding headache telling him he had a mild concussion, but that wasn't something he hadn't had before. He could work with it. Knowing now that he was in a decent physical condition, he needed to get to Kensi.

"Kens, I need you open your eyes, okay?" Finally, a moan came from the brunette and he let out a breath, the sound of her breathing calming his nerves slightly. Very slowly, he kept scooting his body over to hers while his hands kept working on the knots at his wrists. It wasn't easy, but whoever had tied him up had done a piss poor job of it. _Thank God for Amateurs._

"Hey Fern, can you hear me?" He had finally made it to her and had loosened the ropes enough to get his hands undone. Using his newfound freedom to help push himself up, he quickly undid the knots at his feet and turned to Kensi.

"Come on, Kens, it's no fun to talk to myself. I need you to wake up now. Talk to me, Princess." He made quick work of her ties as well before using his training to look her over. His anger at the situation was expected, but the rage he felt when he saw the bruises on her beautiful face was new. One cheek was already a dark purple, and there was a large gash over her right eye. Swallowing down the anger, he started making his way down her body.

He checked her still healing wound and saw that it was okay. When his hands touched her ribs, Kensi groaned again, this time her eyes starting to flutter open.

"Hey Fern, about time you woke up." He kept his voice low, almost a whisper, and gently pressed his fingers, trying to find out how bad the ribs were.

"Don't call me Fern." She hissed at him as his fingers probed. "Damn it Deeks, stop, it hurts." She tried to turn away from him, but his hands kept her in place.

"Sorry Princess, I need to see how bad it is."

"Don't bother. At least one is broken, but nothing I haven't dealt with before." Kensi went to sit up, but her head and stomach revolted and she laid her head back down. "Add a concussion to that, too." She closed her eyes for a minute so the world would stop spinning.

"Kensi, keep your eyes open. I need you stay awake." After finishing his triage, he pushed the hair away from her face as her eyes opened again.

"Hey." He stared into her eyes, knowing this wasn't the greatest time to get lost into her mismatched brown orbs but unable to stop it.

"Hey there yourself." She brought her hand up to his arm next to her head and watched him.

"A fine mess you've gotten us into." His voice was teasing and she snorted.

"How do you know it was me?" The question brought back more memories, specifically the guy at the end of the bar who had been watching Kensi before they left. Narrowing his eyes at the thought, Kensi squeezed his arm, bringing him back.

"What happened, Deeks?" He sat back a little, helping her sit up slowly.

"I remember when I was paying my tab, before the redhead came over, there was a guy at the end of the bar, he had a very strange smile as he watched you walk towards bathroom. I had an… uneasy feeling then, and I should have listened to my gut."

Kensi sat up succesfully, her stomach still queasy but she pushed it down.

"Okay, let's piece together what we know." Deeks nodded at her, moving to sit next to her and let her lean on him. He put his arm around her to steady her, knowing she needed to get her bearings before they put together a plan.

"You saw a guy staring at me, I saved you from the redhead, we left. Got to my car, I was about to leave." She struggled for a minute, deliberately not mentioning the date question, when the rest of it came to her.

"I saw a movement behind you, but before I could say or do anything, you got hit in the head with something and went down and someone else grabbed me. We got thrown into a van, I took some hits." She felt his arm tense up when she mentioned the last part, and she put her hand over his for a minute.

"I'm fine, Deeks."

"Well, you're not, but you will be once we get out of this mess. Keep going. What else do you remember?" His tone was professional as his police training was kicking in and it made Kensi smile a little.

"I passed out in the van. Woke up when we got here. They put bags over our heads, carried us in here. I kicked and hit as much as I could, but when they threw us on the floor in here, they took some more body and head shots, and they kicked you a few times for good measure I guess. I passed out again as the door closed, and didn't wake up until a few minutes ago."

Deeks nodded at her. They had a somewhat of a timeline, now they needed to figure out what they were up against.

"How many men do you remember, Kens?"

"Two, maybe three. I'm not sure if they were armed with anything other than tire irons and rope. Wait!" Kensi moved suddenly, getting woozy in the process but shrugged it off. Reaching into her shirt, she pulled out her phone.

"Your phone was in your bra?" Deeks asked incredulously.

"No pockets in my pants. Next best place." She gave him a beaming smile before turning it on. They both looked at the light from the screen and Deeks would have laughed if the situation wasn't so dire. She had one percent battery life yet, and he knew it would go off any second.

"So Ms.-Doesn't-Charge-Her-Phone, what's the plan now?" Kensi really wanted to elbow him, but she had seen the way he grabbed his sides from time to time and knew that his ribs were probably just as bad as her own.

Using what little time she had left on the battery charge, she quickly typed in a random set of numbers before the phone shut off.

"That wasn't a phone number." Deeks looked at her, tilting his head to the side.

"Nope. Agent in Distress Code. Eric should be able to pinpoint where it came from since the phone is dead now." She put the phone back in her bra and looked at Deeks.

"Okay, let's get this going. We need a plan here." He nodded at her, knowing she wasn't going to just sit and wait for the cavalry to arrive.

"At some point, they are going to come in here and check on us. I want you to lay on the ground like you were, with your hands and feet looking like they are tied up. I'm going to stand by the door so when it opens, I can take the second guy that comes in, assuming they send two."

Kensi picked up on his thoughts. "As soon as asshole number one gets close enough, I'll kick his ass while you take care of asshole number two."

"Yeah, something like that. It may get switched up a little if they realize I'm not on the floor over there, but either way, ass kicking will ensue." Just as he said that, they heard footsteps coming.

"No time like the present." Kensi nodded before laying back down on the floor like she was. Deeks carefully got up and went and stood next the door, knowing it would cover him when they opened it. With one last look of reassurance, they were ready to kick ass.

Half a minute later, they both heard the key go into the lock and the door open. The first man went straight for Kensi, kicking her in the side before anyone could do anything. Kensi tried to keep from screaming, but wasn't that successful. She laid there for a second, watching as the man pulled his foot back to kick her again and noticed this time he was aiming for her head.

As soon as he started the forward motion, Kensi rolled making him miss his target. There was so much force behind it that the man ended up sprawled on his back due to the momentum.

"What the hell?!" The man yelled and Deeks heard another set of footsteps hurrying into the room. Deeks quickly moved from behind the door and put his arm around the other man's neck, effectively putting him in the sleeper hold.

Kensi had made it to her feet as asshole number one got up and she was now busy giving as many body shots as she could, having the man bending over in pain. He stood once, taking a wild swing and Kensi dodged it, landing a punch to his face. Her ribs were screaming in pain, but she ignored it, adrenaline taking over. He took one more swing, this time connecting to her cheek and Kensi responded with a kick to his kidneys.

Deeks kept his grip on the other man, but the woman in front of him held his attention. She had broken ribs and blood running down her face, and yet here she was, kicking ass like she wasn't hurt at all. It was one thing to hear Callen and Sam talk about it, it was quite another to see her in action. _Wonder Woman for the win._

By the time the man Deeks was holding blacked out and slumped to the floor, Kensi used all of strength to kick the guy in the very private parts. As he leaned over, she grabbed his head and lifted her knee, breaking his nose as it made contact. The man cried out and fell to the floor.

Deeks rushed over, grabbing the ropes that had previously been used to hold him and tied up the man who attacked Kensi, making sure it was extra tight. If his knee slipped and went into the guys abdomen, well, shit happens.

After getting both men tied up and taking away the guns they had stashed away, Deeks knelt next to Kensi.

"Alright Princess. We've got phase one complete. Now it's time to bust out of here." He lifted her face up to meet her eyes, inwardly cringing. Another bruise was forming and the blood was now pouring down the gash above her eye. The anger he had managed to tamper down was rising quickly. Kensi shook her head at him, reading him well.

"Not worth it, Deeks. Let's go." He helped her up and put his arm around her, leading her out. He chuckled as Kensi kicked the guy one more time on the way out.

As soon as they got out of the door, Deeks took point, gun raised as he walked slowly down the hall. They were in a warehouse, and there could be anything lurking around the corner. Deeks looked back at Kensi, using hand motions to tell her so far so good, but it would be slow going. She nodded her head and kept glancing behind them, watching their six's.

Suddenly, Deeks stopped. He turned and held up two fingers. She nodded and Deeks checked the corner one more time. Noticing the other two guys weren't paying any attention, he quickly crossed to the other side of the door. Locking eyes with her, he counted down with his fingers.

Three. Two. One.

Almost as if they had been talking to each other verbally, they both turned, aimed and fired, Kensi taking the one on the right and Deeks the one of the left - teamwork at it's finest.

He quickly turned, knowing that the gun shots would lead anyone else to them. They both crouched down and waited a second, but no one appeared.

Deeks motioned forward and Kensi nodded. As one, they made their way through the crates. They were about to open the door when it suddenly burst open.

"NCIS." Guns were raised and Kensi started laughing.

"You guys have the worst timing." She sighed in relief as Deeks lowered his weapon and walked over to her. He knew she was putting on a front for the guys and would be here if she needed him.

"Kensi, Deeks, you guys okay?" Sam looked around before glancing at the duo.

'Fi-"

"No, Kensi, you aren't fine." Deeks dared her to say otherwise but Kensi just glared at him. He ignored the glare and turned to Callen.

"We didn't fully clear it, only the trail from the room to here." Callen nodded and glanced at Sam before they took off, making sure there were no other surprises waiting for them.

Deeks led Kensi outside and saw Laura rushing towards them.

"Scene isn't secured yet, Laura."

"What, you think I would wait when I knew you were in there?" She dropped the bag and saw that Kensi looked worse than Deeks.

"Help her first. I'm good."

"No he's not. Bruised ribs and a concussion." Kensi glanced at him and raised her eyebrows.

"Versus cracked - possibly broken - ribs, deep laceration above the eye, concussion and multiple contusions."

Laura watched the exchange and was impressed. They were both challenging each other on who had the worse injuries, wanting the other to get checked first.

They both continued to stare into each others eyes, neither backing down from one another. For them time had all but stopped around them.

"All clear." Callen came back out the door and stopped, smirking as Kensi and Deeks jumped a little. A look from Laura told him what he already knew.

"So Deeks, how does it feel to get saved by a woman?" Sam looked at them both with a smirk ready to tease the shaggy haired paramedic. Kensi furrowed her eyebrows taking offense even if it was meant as a joke. Deeks had saved her life… again.

"Other way around Sam. His plan, his execution. I followed his lead." She locked eyes with him. "As much as it pains me, this was all him." She let a small smile form as she looked at him, letting him know how thankful she truly was. Catching Deeks puff out his chest a little in pride, she needed to bring him down a peg….just to keep his ego in check.

"Not bad for a Shaggy look alike, what do you guys think?" Deeks' chest deflated a little by the laughter that sprung up around him. Sending a glare at her direction, he tilted his head and smiled.

"Does that mean I get a Scooby snack?"

Kensi laughed before grabbing her ribs. Laura sprang into action. "Enough talking, come on." She led them both the ambulance and Deeks helped her in before climbing in himself.

"Kens, you need to go to the hospital." She immediately started shaking her head at him.

"No."

"Kensi, you need to go."

"No."

Deeks sighed and watched as Callen and Sam strolled up.

"She's not going to go, Deeks. The woman is as stubborn as a mule." Sam leaned against the door, arms folded. Deeks just narrowed his eyes a little at the bigger man as Laura squatted down in front of him, taking the wipes out to clean up his face and arms. The sting bringing him out to reality.

"Watch it woman, you're too rough," he hissed through his teeth.

"Stop being a baby. Why don't you try impressing the lady over there rather than whining."

Laura looked over at Kensi who was watching in amusement "Sometimes he needs a punch to the arm to keep him in line but I'll let him slide on that today."

"Okay, good to know." Deeks' eyes went wide.

"Hey wait… what?...you can't tell her to abuse me…and you can't just agree like that!"

Laura had finished with Deeks and made her way over to Kensi. Seeing Deeks' reaction to the wipes, Kensi closed her eyes and gritted her teeth while the cuts were cleaned.

"Kens, please tell me one of them men alive in there is the one responsible for all of this." Sam motioned to the two of them and their injuries.

"Yeah. Deeks did a choke hold on one of them, I took care of the one who did this." Sam's face went to stone and Callen put a hand on his shoulder before he could go back inside and finish what Kensi had started.

"Do we know who's responsible?" Kensi asked as Laura continued her assault on the wounds.

"Not yet, but we sent pics to Eric for facial rec. He should have something soon," Callen replied as Kensi nodded her head.

When Laura was finished, Kensi opened her eyes just in time to see Deeks sway a little.

"Deeks." Laura's voice held a warning and he stared at Kensi.

"You need a hospital." The words flowed out of Kensi before she knew it, and the look in his eyes told her she was about to lose this battle.

"You jump, I jump." Kensi's heart stopped. Did he just quote Titanic to her? Damn him for unknowingly breaking down her walls without even realizing it.

"Fine." He swayed again and Sam put his hand out, keeping Deeks upright.

"Alright, let's get you two the hospital." Callen's voice was stern, but he was incredibly surprised that Kensi was going, too. Although really, he shouldn't have been. They owed Deeks a lot more than a simple 'thank you'.

* * *

Kensi sat there, staring across the hall at Deeks. The swelling on his cheek was getting worse and the bruise he would be sporting for a while would probably make the ladies flock to him.

Deeks caught her eye, and saw anger flash there as she looked from him to his nurse, who was all but pushing herself on Deeks.

Deeks would have chuckled in delight at the jealousy he clearly saw on Kensi's face but thought better of it. He was just as uncomfortable about this as Kensi was. Normally a beautiful woman pressed against him and giggling had him turning on the charm. Now all it made him want to do was push her away and have another brunette next to him. _'What are you doing to me Kensi Blye?'_

Since the curtains were open and no doors were in his way, Deeks decided it was time to go big or go home. He had already asked her once and she had been about to reply before they were rudely interrupted. Now, maybe it would distract her long enough for the nurse to finish. And besides, he really needed to know the answer.

"Hey Kensi!" Deeks yelled across the hospital hallway, smile on his face.

"Yeah?" Kensi had a confused look on her face now and even though bruised and battered, she was still breathtaking.

"Question from earlier? It needs an answer." He could tell that she knew exactly what he was talking about.

"Now?! Of all the times to get an answer, you pick right now? How about when we finally leave?"

Deeks just shook his head at her... Well as much as he could why the nurse cleaned the cuts and checked his ribs.

Kensi could see the nurses hand on Deeks' face and chest and it wasn't strictly professional. Without hesitation she yelled, "YES!"

There was a collective gasp around the hall, everyone coming to the same conclusion. Cheers went up and patients, nurses and doctors alike started clapping.

Kensi started blushing and glared at Deeks, but his wink at her made her laugh and she grabbed her ribs.

The two nurses in charge of getting their patients cleaned and stitched up were both thinking the same thing, but it was Deeks' nurse who had the bigger shock.

"So, you sure you want to marry her?"

Deeks broke eye contact and looked at her, clearly confused.

"What?"

"Well, she did say yes to you question right? ..._after_ you both almost died." Deeks couldn't understand her reasoning at first but a little light bulb went off and now he knew what all the clapping and cheering was about and he started laughing.

"We aren't getting married. She agreed to go on a date with me. First date as a matter of fact." His chest puffed out in pride and he looked over at Kensi, smiling at her. It was little too soon to be thinking about marriage, but he would start with a date.

* * *

Callen, Sam and Laura all looked at each other when they heard the exchange between Kensi and Deeks.

"About time." Callen looked at Laura when he said it and she immediately agreed.

"No shit. I'm tired of him moping around everywhere."

Hetty and Eric came and sat down, looking over at Callen for info. Callen quickly relayed the chain of events and made sure to tell Hetty that it was Deeks who had saved the day… again. Hetty just smiled and _hmm'd_ again, which was getting to be a normal occurrence when the subject of Deeks got brought up.

"You seem to already know about this and aren't surprised at all." Callen watched the older woman as she sat there.

"There's more to Mr. Deeks than meets the eye." Callen was about to ask more when the nurse came out, informing them they could visit the patients.

Callen and Sam walked around the corner and saw Deeks and Kensi sitting in the same room.

"Well, I hear congratulations are in order. Since things seems to be moving a lot faster than anyone here thought, I bet there's a wedding date already set." Callen smirked at her and Kensi blushed before flipping him off.

"Sorry Hetty." Kensi hadn't seen the woman before telling Callen he was number one. Deeks chuckled and looked at the guys before settling on Laura.

"So… I guess I was louder than I thought, huh?"

"Yeah," Laura said, nodding at him.

"And y'all heard everything, didn't you?"

"Every word."

"Okay." Deeks looked over at Kensi and winked at her. "At least they know."

"And I won twenty bucks." Eric spoke before thinking and everyone turned their eyes to him.

"Excuse me? What was that Eric?" Noticing Kensi's eyes lock onto his, he gulped in realization he said that out loud. "Spit it out, Beale."

"Leave him alone, Kens," Deeks said with laughter in his voice as Eric's face showed relief, but only for a second as he saw Kensi's face again. Deeks may have saved him now, but he would be answering this question later.

"Any ID on the bad guys yet?" Kensi raised her eyebrows at Sam and he nodded.

"Yeah, someone you pissed off a few years ago. Jose Garcia. Been out of prison a week and it looks like it was just a chance of being in the right place at the right time, but we are looking into it to make sure nothing else was going on." Kensi shook her head a little but was thankful she had these guys at her side.

"Can we go now?" Kensi looked to Callen and saw his nod. "Oh thank God."

Everyone got up, but Sam stopped Deeks before he walked out of the room.

"Thanks again, Deeks. Trouble follows that girl. And it seems she has her own guardian angel now." He patted the man on the back before walking ahead.

Deeks stood there for a minute. _Kensi's guardian angel._ He chuckled. She definitely needed one, and he had no issue filling that position.

Kensi had stopped when she realized her newfound date hadn't joined them. As she listened to Sam's words she blushed before a smile crossed her lips. _I guess he really is my own personal angel. I may not need one, but I would be lying to myself if I said I didn't like the thought of it. _

Deeks nudged her shoulder, bringing her out of her thoughts. She glanced up at him, a smile playing on her lips. As they headed out the door, arms touching, Kensi glanced up at the sky. There had only ever been one man in her life who seemed to know what she needed before she did, and it seemed that he had sent someone else to help now.

_Thanks, Dad._

* * *

_AN - So, leave a review on your way out and let me know what you thought. They make my day and I love hearing what you guys think of it!_


	9. Chapter 9

_I know it's been a LONG TIME since I've updated this. Hope you guys are still with me. There's still more of this story to tell. _

_There aren't enough words of thanks to justareader07 and CoastalReader for their ideas, thoughts and encouragement. _

* * *

**Monday:**

_Hey Deeks, question._

_And I may or may not have an answer. - D_

_Alright smart ass. Where are we going for the date?_

_You already know my response to that. The same as it has been the last 4 times you've asked. - D_

_Just tell me what to wear!_

_Be comfortable. No need to dress up for this one. - D_

_You say that like there will be a second..._

_I'm nothing if not a confident, handsome male. - D_

_Dear god I'm regretting this already._

_And yet you're smiling - D_

**Tuesday:**

_Mornin sunshine - D_

_Deeks it's 11:56am. It's basically afternoon_

_But it's not and that's the point. - D_

_I'm not going to argue with you about this. What's up?_

_Chicken butt - D_

_Sigh._

_Seriously though, just wanted to say hi. - D_

**Wednesday:**

_DEEKS answer your damn phone! I've tried calling three times and all I'm getting is voicemail._

_Kens I'm okay. - D_

_The ambulance crash wasn't you?_

_Nope but in route now to help. Gonna be busy for a while so I won't be able to answer right away. - D_

_Okay no that's good. Go do your thing. If you aren't too tired let me know when you're done._

_Never too tired for you! Okay gotta go to work now. Be safe out there! - D_

_You too, Deeks._

**Thursday:**

_You ready for tomorrow night? - D_

_What's tomorrow night?_

_You wound me. I know you've been counting down the days. You can't lie to me. - D_

_Hmmmm...I'm working tomorrow so not counting down to that. No doctor's appointments I know of. What am I missing? ;)_

_Uh huh, I see how it is. Well no smorgasbord of food for you, then. - D_

_So there's gonna be food!? And lots of it?!_

_Ohhhh Kensi Kensi Kensi. Just wait and see. - D_

_And If I didn't know any better you're more excited about the food then you are of me. - D_

_No comment :P_

* * *

"So, when's the date?" Callen put his pen down on the desk and leaned back in his chair, sneaking a glance at his partner as Kensi sighed.

"Why?" She turned her head towards him, raising her eyebrows. Callen just narrowed his eyes at her, not saying anything. He knew Kensi well, and if he stared at her long enough without saying anything, she would give up the information.

Kensi stood her ground for a good minute, the staring contest making Sam chuckle. The noise startled Kensi, and she started shaking her head, glaring at the two men who only laughed harder.

"It's tonight." Callen's voice was confident and Kensi tried to play it off by scoffing at him and she knew she had failed miserably when Callen whipped his phone out.

"Callen, don't you dare!" He stood up and evaded Kensi while she chased him, quickly typing out a text to a shaggy paramedic.

* * *

Deeks was filling out paperwork, tapping his foot to an unknown rhythm when Laura came in. She took notice of the smile on his face and the slight hum in his voice while he caught up on the morning's paperwork. Laura just leaned against the doorframe, waiting for him to notice her. Lost in his own world, he kept humming his song and tapping his foot and Laura smiled softly, shaking her head a little.

"Are you going to stand there all day or help me out here?" Deeks didn't look up from the form he was completing, recounting the elderly lady they had helped off the floor, shuddering inwardly as he remembered the lady squeezing his butt.

"Ole Miss Lancell really has a thing for you. We get her call at least once a week." At Laura's comment, Deeks looked up, glaring at her.

"I'm sending you alone next time she calls. She's getting… handsy." Laura threw her head back and laughed, knowing the old woman could have gotten up just fine on her own, but she couldn't argue with him about that.

Just as she was about to retort, his phone chirped.

_Bring snacks. Hungry Kensi is not fun to be around. And don't give her flowers. DBK_

Deeks looked up, confusion marking his face and Laura tilted her head at him. Deeks turned the phone over to show her, and Laura read the text, confusion clear on her face as well.

"What the hell is DBK?"

Laura just shrugged and looked at him, curiosity almost killing her.

"Deeks. Please tell me you have something romantic planned for tonight. First dates are like first impressions, they make or break any relationship before they even start."

Deeks chuckled. He looked at Laura, his smile lighting up the room. "Oh, it's going to be good. Definitely something she'll remember."

He loved teasing Laura. He knew she wanted details, and the woman was crafty when she wanted to be, getting information in her own wily way. But right now, her feminine curiosity was overtaking her cunning side and she was making it way too easy to evade the question.

"Deeks, come on." He took in the pleading look and decided to give in... this time.

"LA Derby Dolls."

Laura's jaw dropped, literally.

"Are you kidding me?! Roller derby?!"

"It's physical, it's bloody, and she'll love it. Have you seen how badass she is? Trust me. I have it in good authority she loves stuff like this. I would have done hockey but sadly we aren't in the right season for that."

He waited for a minute, letting Laura process this info.

"Don't worry Laura. I've got something a little more... intimate planned for after."

Laura's sigh of relief had Deeks laughing again and he mentally gave himself a high five before his phone chirped again, this time from Sam.

_Don't ask too many questions about her personal life. She doesn't open up easily. DBK._

Deeks just shook his head and put the phone down. He liked that the guys were trying to give him advice, but he had everything under control. He was well versed on the etiquette of first dates, he knew the dos and don'ts of conversations. But he also wasn't stupid. He was getting tips from people who knew Kensi the best. This was gold. Right now though, instead of focusing on the advice, he was trying to figure out what DBK meant.

"Hey, what do you think the DBK stands for?" He stared at his phone before looking at Laura, who just shrugged her shoulders again. She didn't know what it meant, but she was going to enjoy watching her partner in crime try to figure it out.

Laura sat in the chair across from Deeks. She knew that he had put a lot of thought into this date, and knowing what she knew of Kensi, it was going to be great. A little rough-and-tough action followed by a little romance. Deeks had put the best of both worlds into it without making it seem like a big deal.

But she knew him, and she knew that while he was cool and calm on the outside, inside he was going over every detail of the night, making sure there were back up plans for back up plans in case something went wrong.

This was the first time she had seen him put this much detail into a date. All the other women he had taken out, it was always the typical dinner-and-a-movie, and it was refreshing to see him do something different, even if it was a little more… violent than normal. But she had met Kensi, and she knew that this was more her thing. _I hope she's the one for you Deeks, I really do._

Before she could ask him anything else, or give her famous don't-mess-this-up speech, his phone went off again.

"Wow, you're awful popular today." She kept her voice light as she watched him furrow his brows.

He looked up at her after he studied the text from Callen and all but shoved the phone at her.

"What the hell does it mean?!"

_She's known as the one date wonder. Make it a good one, Deeks. She doesn't normally do seconds. DBK._

Laura read it several times before handing him the phone back.

"Sounds like she's a great first date, but doesn't go for the second." Deeks just shook his head at her.

"No no no. Not that part – I get that. It's something I can work with. It's the DBK. What does it stand for?"

Laura just tilted her head at him. "Why don't you ask?"

"Nah, too easy. That's what they want." Panic was starting to creep into his voice and Laura shook her head.

"Okay genius. What do you think it could mean? Start throwing things out there."

Deeks leaned back in his chair and sighed, closing his eyes.

"Do Be Kind. Deadly Butt Kicker. Dates Be Killer. Don't Be Kidnapped." Deeks' eyes shot open. After their last debacle, he was sure 'don't be kidnapped' was it. He scooped up his phone and sent a reply to Callen.

_I got it. DBK = Don't be Kidnapped_

The response from Callen was almost immediate. Deeks just stared at his phone and looked up at Laura.

"What have I gotten myself into?" He dropped his head to the desk as Laura grabbed the phone.

_Death By Kensi – don't ever forget this. Learn it. Live it. She can kill you just by blinking her eyes._

_But good point - don't be kidnapped_

Laura started laughing and Deeks flipped her off without looking up.

"Deeks, it's going to be fine. She's worth the effort, right?"

"Mmmhmmm… well, maybe." He kept his head down and his words were muffled.

"Deeks." Laura brought out her mother tone and Deeks groaned before sitting up.

"You haven't put this much thought into a date… ever. It will be fine. You've seen the girl in action, you know she's kick ass. This shouldn't have been a big surprise. Besides they are messing with you while trying to help you out. I've met these guys, and I don't see them as the type to give every guy she dates insight on what to do."

Deeks looked at his partner, his confidence in tonight coming back. She was right. Callen and Sam were rooting for them to make it passed the first date.

Laura could see the impromptu speech had worked as the sparkle started coming back into Deeks' eyes. She got up and walked behind him, ruffling his hair as she went.

"Don't mess this up, Casanova." He went to swat at her, but she could see that move a mile away and dodged him. She had faith that he would make this a first date to remember. She was just hoping Kensi would be able to see what a great guy he is and break her one date cycle.

* * *

Kensi stood in front of her mirror, looking at herself and the third outfit she had put on. Deeks had told her not to dress up, but she was still worried about what to wear. Her phone lit up and heart skipped a beat for a second, worried it was her date cancelling at the last minute like a few had done before him. She let out a breath when she saw Callen's name and hoped he wasn't telling her to come in for a case.

_Relax, Kens. And have a great time tonight._

She typed back a quick 'thanks' and looked at herself again. She had on her favorite pair of pants, brown no heel boots and a brown sequin shirt. She had left her hair down, only pulling the top part back out of her face and added minimum make up. She was comfortable, casual enough but still a little dressy. She gave herself one last look and put her phone in her bag before heading to the living room.

She was just about to sit on the couch when there was a knock on her door. Kensi took a deep breath and walked over, seeing Deeks' silhouette and smiled as she opened the door.

Kensi had been expecting him to make some comments about… well… anything. Instead, Deeks just stood there, staring at her. She let him gather his thoughts while she discreetly looked him over. Jeans (that she was sure were fitting him very well in certain places… she'd check that out later), blue long sleeved button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms and black shoes. _Not bad. _A smirk appeared on her face as she realized he had caught her staring.

"Like what you see?" His blue eyes sparkled, and Kensi worked at keeping a straight face.

"Eh, it's alright." Deeks barked out a laugh and gestured grandly to his car, letting her know it was time to go.

"Your chariot awaits, madam." Kensi couldn't have stopped the smile if she had tried. She was glad he hadn't shown up with flowers like most men did. They always died within days of getting them, and it would take her weeks before she actually threw them away.

Kensi closed and locked the door and headed for his black Chevy pickup. It wasn't old, but it wasn't brand new, either. It looked well used and clean. As she climbed into the cab, she noticed a Twinkie on the console. _Hmmm… okay, point to Deeks._

Half of it was gone by the time Deeks started the truck, and he just shook his head as she stuffed the other half in her mouth. He reached over, his arm brushing against hers as he grabbed a napkin out of the glove compartment and looked at her. Without even thinking about it, he brought his hand up and wiped the sugary delight that hadn't made it into her mouth off of her face.

Kensi held her breath and stared at him while he removed the crumbs with the napkin. It only took a few seconds, but Kensi was sure that the air from her lungs had been stolen.

"Breathe, Kens." Deeks' voice was a whisper, but he was so lost in her eyes that it was a reminder for him, too. When he heard Kensi inhale, he leaned back and cleared his throat, breaking the connection.

"Okay, wow. Alright. So, you uh, you ready?" He shook his head a little, clearing the cobwebs and getting his mind back on the date rather than the beautiful woman next to him that was distracting as hell and didn't even know it.

"Yeah, I'm ready. When are you going to tell me where we are going?" Kensi put her seatbelt on and looked at him, his unruly blonde hair one of the many mysteries of his charm. He was the complete opposite of every man she had become interested in, and she couldn't figure out why she was drawn to him.

"I think it will be more fun to show you, rather than tell you." He flashed a smile at her and put the truck in gear, whisking his date away on a night he hoped she wouldn't forget.

* * *

"Deeks, that was incredible." Kensi was laughing as she eyed the food trucks again on their way out. Deeks rubbed his arm again, where Kensi had elbowed him during a brutal hit from one of the LA Derby Dolls to the opposing team. Kensi had been so excited she had turned abruptly, cheering, and her elbow had connected to his bicep. Deeks was pretty sure there was already a nasty bruise forming. The way she had scoffed at his face, clearly in pain, and told him to "man up" had him shaking his head again.

"Kensi, you've already downed a turkey leg, a hot dog with everything – and I mean everything – on it, and three slices of pizza. What else could you possible want right now? Better yet where are you putting it all?" Deeks was fully prepared to fork up some more money on his date's insane eating habits, but the light in her eyes and the smile on her lips made it all worth it, the bruise included.

Kensi stopped and looked around. Some of the food trucks had already closed up, but there were still a lot to choose from. She scanned the area until she found the one she wanted.

"Burgers and shakes." She absently grabbed Deeks' hand and started pulling him towards it. Deeks intertwined their fingers without thought, the feel of her hand in his almost natural.

"Okay, but we get this to-go. The night isn't over yet, Kensalina." He smiled at her, as she narrowed her eyes a little but unable to keep her lips from turning up a little at the thought of spending more time with him. She gave a small nod and turned, looking up at the menu.

Once the food was ordered and in their hands, Deeks grabbed her hand again and led her through the crowd. They had watched a very exciting match, the Derby Dolls winning, and as they climbed into the truck, Deeks couldn't contain it any longer.

"You would make one hell of a Derby Doll, Kens. Tight shorts, fishnets, tank top and a bad ass attitude to match. You could take them all out with your eyes closed." He flashed a grin as he maneuvered them out of traffic, watching her out of the corner of his eye. He knew she had had a good time so far, the yelling and cheering and non stop smiles telling him he had done well on the first portion of the date. But Kensi had grown quiet since they got their food, and Deeks didn't want her shutting down now.

"What's going on in the mind of yours, huh?" Deeks decided to go out on a limb and ask her straight out instead of skirting around it. She was either going to lie to him (that was his bet) or she might actually talk it.

Kensi sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window. She'd had a great time this evening, the roller derby something she had wanted to see live for a while now. Deeks had been fun and flirty all night, knowing how much charm to turn on and at the right moment. She hadn't felt this much anticipation for a date in a very long time, and it had turned out better than she could have ever hoped. And that scared her. She heard Deeks' question, and weighed her answer.

"Just… reflecting on what a good time I've had tonight." Kensi gave him a smile. It was true enough, and maybe one day she would let him into her inner thoughts. But it wasn't the right time now. She could tell by the way he set his jaw and inhaled that he didn't completely believe her, but she was thankful when he pursed his lips together and nodded, understanding that she would open up when she was ready, and pushing would only push her away.

"Me too, Kens. Now, ready for part two?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her, lightening the mood. Kensi laughed and nodded her head, wondering what else he had planned.

The settled into a pleasant conversation ranging from the roller derby match to Deeks' time as a Lawyer and Detective. She told him about some of her college days, before Jack. Deeks hadn't kept his ass alive for some long undercover without knowing when information was being withheld, but he respected her privacy and let her give him bits and pieces. He knew that she was giving him more now than she probably had with any of her other dates, and that knowledge made him smile. Besides its not like he wasn't withholding information either about his past.

Deeks pulled off the road and backed in. Kensi looked around and saw trees but not much else, the darkness of the night hiding the landscape. If she had been with any other man, she would have been irritated at this, but with Deeks, it felt right.

Deeks smiled at her and grabbed their food before jumping out of the truck and heading to the back, letting the tailgate down. He set the bags down and went back the back seat, grabbing several pillows and blankets he had on the floorboard. When he came back around, Kensi raised an eyebrow at him, questions in her eyes.

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Princess. I'm not that kind of guy, okay? I just thought this sitting on this might make it more comfortable."

"And here I was, thinking I could take advantage of you. But I mean, if you're not that kind of guy…."

"Whoa… I mean… I _could_ be that kind of guy."

"Hey Deeks."

"Yeah?"

"Just shut up." Kensi smiled at him, taking the sting out of her words. Deeks winked at her and watched as she jumped up on the back of the truck, getting comfortable in the nest of blankets and pillows Deeks had set out.

Deeks climbed up and sat next to her, handing her the bag of food.

"This is beautiful, Deeks." Kensi took a bite of her burger, watching the city she knew like the back of her hand light up against the night sky.

"Yeah, I come up here sometimes and sit and think. If the waves aren't there and I have things to sift through, this is the place." Deeks stared at the scene before him, the buildings of Los Angeles providing a dramatic backstop to the ocean in the distance.

He had never brought anyone up here, not wanting to share his secret place with anyone. But with Kensi… well, it felt _natural _to share this with her. Just like everything else did. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt more alive with someone else, who's smile and laughter were contagious and even though she was closed off, he appreciated the things she did tell him, knowing he wanted more. And given time, he hoped she would feel comfortable enough to tell him whatever was on her mind.

They finished their food in silence, each lost in thought as they watched the hustle and bustle below. They were far enough away that you couldn't hear the horns of cars still trying to make their home or the sirens meaning someone needed help somewhere. No, here, they could look out over the city, see the lights twinkling and be amazed at the beauty of it.

Deeks plopped some pillows behind him and leaned back, taking Kensi's hand in his. He could feel her stiffen a moment before she relaxed, letting her shoulder lean against his. Deeks sat there, playing with her hand absently and watched the moon rise.

"I'm uh… I hope everyone was okay. The ambulance crash, I mean." Kensi's voice was soft as she looked at him. He stared at the moon a minute longer before meeting her gaze.

"Yeah, after some time in rehab Jerry - the driver - he will be okay. I've met him once before, nice guy. He works in a different precinct, but Laura and I were closer that day so we took the call. A moving truck ran a red light and T-boned him. Luckily, there weren't any passengers, he had just gone out to fill up the wagon and pick up lunch."

Kensi nodded, remembering the panic she had felt when she had passed one of the TV's in the mission that was set on the news 24/7. All she saw was the headline that there was an ambulance that had been involved in an accident with unknown injuries. For reasons she hadn't been ready to understand, her heart had stopped. She had immediately picked up her phone and furiously dialed Deeks' number, her stomach churning even more when he didn't answer.

Finally, he had texted her, letting her know he was okay, and she was able to breathe again. The guys had given her a little grief about her reaction, but had kept it to a minimum, all of them silently glad it hadn't been him and Laura involved in the accident.

Deeks watched the emotions cross her face, and when the worry lines faded, he nudged her shoulder.

"Worried about me, were you?" He smirked at her, and he got the desired effect when she smiled and shook her head at him.

"Pfft, you wish. I just didn't want to have to find a replacement date for tonight."

Deeks brought his hand to his chest in mock horror. "Kensalina, you wound me. You wouldn't have had near as much fun with someone else." His voice held humor and Kensi dropped her eyes to their still joined hands.

"You're right. It was a pretty decent evening." She flicked her eyes back to his, holding his gaze.

"Decent? Woman, you know it was awesome." His eyes sparkled and he watched her scoff at him.

"Decent was being generous." She broke the eye contact and leaned back, squeezing his hand. She felt him return the pressure and they both sat in silence, the calm of the night blanketing them.

An hour later, Kensi could feel her eyes growing heavy. She and Deeks had talked off and on, both of them content with the quiet, not needing conversation.

"Well Cinderella, if I don't have you back before the clock strikes midnight, I have no idea what you might turn into, and to be frank, you're scary enough like this." Deeks stood up, pulling her with him. Before she could retort, he pulled her into his arms, swaying to the music of the night.

Kensi went with it, relishing in the feeling of being in his arms, even if they were dancing to nothing but crickets and owls. She never would have thought she would enjoy something like this, and if any other man had tried it they would have ended up with a knee to the groin. But if she were honest with herself, she has never felt this calm and light hearted with another person. It was as if they fit together like two pieces of a puzzle.

For the next few minutes, Deeks held Kensi close to him, slow dancing in the back of a pickup truck as he hummed a tune. Finally, they pulled apart and started loading up the blankets and pillows. Kensi sighed as they left, knowing this was _the _best first date she had ever been on.

When they pulled up to Kensi's house, Deeks got up and walked her to the door. Kensi had been anticipating this all night, wondering if he would kiss her. As she put the key in the lock, she turned. Should she invite him in? Would he actually come in if she did that? Would he see that as an invite for something else, like all the other men?

"I had a great time tonight, Kens." Deeks interrupted her thoughts and she smiled.

"Me too, Deeks. Thank you."

"I know you don't do second dates -"

"How-"

"But, I'm hoping you will reconsider that rule." He was being serious as he looked at her, and saw the moment of panic on her face. He gave her a minute, knowing he couldn't push anything if he wanted the slightest chance in hell to see her again.

"Deeks…" Kensi took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "Ask me tomorrow." She wanted to say yes right now, but she couldn't make the words come out so she expressed it with her eyes instead, hoping he could read her as well as she thought he could. She needed a little space, and little time to process her thoughts and feelings on this amazingly wonderful, distracting, annoying man.

Deeks face broke out in a grin that almost hurt his face. "That wasn't a no." Kensi chuckled at him. "It wasn't a no," she confirmed, feeling as if her heart was doing backflips.

"Well okay then, I'll take it." He leaned forward, and Kensi's breath hitched. Before she could do anything else, his lips brushed her cheek. He pulled back and saw a shy smile on Kensi's face.

"Gotta leave you wanting more so you'll agree to that second date." Deeks winked at her and Kensi just laughed at him.

"Well, I guess this is goodnight. Thanks again, Deeks. It was a pretty awesome evening." Deeks nodded his head at her, and started taking some steps back, knowing it was time for him to go.

"Night, Sunshine. And anytime." He wiggled his eyebrows as she opened the door and he turned, making his way back to his truck. Kensi watched him, admiring for the upteenth time just how well those jeans fit.

Once he was backing out of the driveway she turned and leaned against the door, eyes closing as she took a deep breath. The emotions she was feeling were unlike any other and all because of one man. She opened her eyes, scanning the room. When they landed on a picture of Jack that Kensi had kept on the shelf, she slowly walked over to it.

"All these years, Jack. I've cried over you, cursed you, hated you, and changed because of you. But now, after all this time I hope you've found a life of happiness, even if it's not with me. I need to move on and be happy. And while I may not have been living in the past, I have been living with a crutch. Not living the life that I should have because I was afraid.. But um, I think it's my turn to let go." She picked up the picture as a tear rolled down her cheek. She walked to her closet with the picture, and very carefully placed it in there with the other small mementoes of their past life together.

There was something comforting about the act. She had finally found someone who made her laugh and forget her worries. Who made her look forward to the next day, rather than live with memories. Someone who's path had crossed hers for a reason. Kensi just prayed that she was able to take the leap of faith.

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_AN - reviews mean the world. I'd be forever grateful to know what you thought and that you're still here for the ride._


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